According to research conducted by Owl Labs, 70% of U.K. managers have acknowledged permitting their staff to work remotely from home despite their company mandating an official return to the office (RTO).
Employers like Boots have sparked employee discontent by insisting on a full-time return to office work this month. Now, it appears that even managers are disregarding this directive. While major employers emphasize the necessity of returning to desks, the data raises doubts about businesses' ability to enforce a Return to Office (RTO) policy that lacks support from management.
The Rise of Stealth Management
Organizations' efforts to bring employees back into the office have varied widely, ranging from polite requests to coercive blackmails and unconventional approaches like WebMD's widely mocked "back to the office" music video.
The outcomes have been largely negative, with companies like Dell and Amazon facing backlash for implementing punitive measures against remote workers, such as excluding them from promotions or pay raises. In contrast, some firms, including Boots, have observed the backlash from heavy-handed tactics and opted for a more nuanced approach to managing the issue.
Despite facing multiple PR crises, organizations persist in implementing Return to Office (RTO) mandates. However, these efforts are likely causing more harm than benefit, as analysis from Owl Labs indicates that stricter mandates are fostering the emergence of stealth management, a phenomenon that occurs when managers who feel empowered impose their regulations on business practices like remote work in response to what they perceive as unjust directives.
Owl Labs' findings, which reveal that 7 in 10 line managers defy Return to Office (RTO) orders, suggest that employees working from home may evade scrutiny during performance reviews, undermining employer authority and exacerbating the gap between leadership and management.
How Hushed Hybrid Harms Company Culture?
1. A Two-tier Workforces
Company policies are critical to ensuring fair treatment and access to benefits for all staff. Managers disregarding Return to Office (RTO) policies can create a two-tier workforce and foster resentment among employees who do not enjoy the same work-from-home privileges within their teams. This can eventually lead to diminished morale and undermined team cohesion.
2. Trust Issues
Managers who defy directives from higher authorities also jeopardize trust and respect for senior leaders and diminish their credibility and respect within their teams with reversed decisions. The term hushed hybrid communicates to staff that adherence to directives is not a priority and can lead to disengaged employees who lack motivation to achieve their performance targets.
3. Indebtedness
Issues can arise when employees perceive remote work as a privilege granted at their managers' discretion, potentially feeling obligated to overcompensate or indebted to maintain this benefit. This dynamic can lead to staff overworking, jeopardizing their work-life balance, and increasing the risk of burnout, which is a situation that contradicts the purpose of flexible work arrangements.
4. Closed Cultures
Lack of transparency is detrimental to company culture. Employees should feel empowered to voice their needs and preferences, not only regarding their work arrangements but also in a broader sense, knowing they will receive support from their employers. Otherwise, employees' health and well-being could be compromised.
