Boardroom clashes most likely over return-to-office policies

More than four in ten employers who implemented RTO mandates have experienced higher than normal attrition rates, according to a survey of 6,650 employers from Unispace, a workplace strategy and design firm. — Photo by John Schnobrich on Unsplash

Nearly three out of four organisations said return-to-office (RTO) policies could prompt boardroom battles, according to a new survey of US workplace leaders, showing how senior management doesn’t always see eye to eye on the issue.

RTO mandates were cited as the issue that had the greatest potential to foment conflict among leaders, the September poll of 170 human-resources executives by workplace consultant Gartner Inc. found. Those policies came ahead of such charged topics as layoffs, debates about diversity and ESG, and the adoption of generative AI.