Shadow Policy: Companies are Mandating RTOs, But Why Isn’t Everyone in The Office?

By Moon Harper

May 22, 2024 05:22 AM EDT

Employees' Presence — (Photo : Unsplash/Mario Gogh)

Despite many companies pushing for return-to-office mandates, not everyone is back in the office because companies or managers might have realized there is no simple, one-size-fits-all solution for managing employees who have grown used to autonomy and flexibility.

What Is A Shadow Policy?

Shadow policies follow the coffee badging trend, where employees would come to the office just long enough to have a cup of coffee and get a badge swipe to show they were officially in the office and had some face-to-face time with colleagues, but on their terms and not for a full day.

While many large companies have return-to-office (RTO) mandates in place, many managers recognize that it is not worth the risk of valuable employees quitting to work somewhere with a more flexible policy, so these managers often allow employees to work from home occasionally or even frequently.

Owl Labs' recent State of Hybrid Work Report found that 42% of workers would look for another job with more flexibility if the option to work in a hybrid or remote environment were removed, and 90% said they feel equally or more productive when working in a hybrid format. Managers share this sentiment, with 79% believing their team is more productive when working remotely or hybrid. Consequently, many managers do not mind if some employees work from home.

Frank Weishaupt, CEO of Owl Labs, noted that navigating internal politics has constantly challenged companies. Still, the return to office has introduced another layer of complexity to the typical bureaucratic hurdles. He added that policies from above were not clearly defined as being in the office Monday through Friday but rather a few days a week. This lack of clarity led to practical management of those corporate policies, resulting in the emergence of shadow policies to handle the current gray area.

Leaders' Reason Behind Shadow Policy

As a manager, Cliff Jurkiewicz, VP of Global Strategy and General Manager of the Customer Advisory Board at Phenom, leads a team of six at the VP and director levels. He emphasizes the importance of having the autonomy to run the team according to what he sees fit. His primary focus is maximizing his team's capabilities to achieve business goals and support individual career growth.

Bruno Rodriguez, head of organic search at Orange Line, an Australian-based digital consultancy company, acknowledges the need for flexible employment conditions due to the tight talent market. Despite the company's official policy requiring two days in the office per week, Rodriguez has made exceptions to accommodate individual circumstances, recognizing the importance of balancing the benefits and challenges associated with flexibility in the workplace.

Will This Cause Conflict Among Workers?

Determining who deserves exemption from the RTO mandate is complex. Kristen Fowler, VP of HR and practice lead at executive search firm Clarke Caniff Strategic Search, mentioned that some employees who relocated away from office locations and could not meet the one-day-a-week in-office protocol were kept employed. She noted that these employees were highly valued and maintained high work quality, so they were allowed to stay fully remote. However, if an employee's work product starts to slip or needs additional development, they must come in more frequently for support.