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Return-to-Office Playbook

Create and roll out a return-to-office policy that balances employee and organizational needs.

  • Organizations that mandate RTO often fail to do their due diligence with identifying and communicating a rationale for RTO, leading to employee backlash and numerous negative consequences for the organization (e.g. decreased engagement).
  • In addition, RTO mandates are often a one-size-fits-all approach that lacks flexibility and fails to consider unique employee needs and challenges, leading to rising frustration among employees.

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Our Advice

Critical Insight

Despite the popularity of work-from-home among employees, organizations and employees recognize the benefits of occasionally working from the office. The key to implementing a successful RTO policy is understanding organizational and employee needs and rolling out a policy that is intentionally flexible.

Impact and Result

  • Gather and assess organizational and employee data to identify valid reasons for returning employees to the office.
  • Create and roll out a flexible RTO policy that balances organizational and employee needs.
  • Support employees through the challenges of returning to the office by identifying feasible supports for the organization.

Return-to-Office Playbook Research & Tools

2. Create the RTO policy

Assess factors that impact the RTO and draft the policy.

Return-to-Office Playbook preview picture

About McLean & Company

McLean & Company is an HR research and advisory firm providing practical solutions to human resources challenges via executable research, tools, diagnostics, and advisory services that have a clear and measurable impact on your business.

What Is a Blueprint?

A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your HR problems.

Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.

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Speak With An Analyst

Get the help you need in this 3-phase advisory process. You'll receive 8 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.

Guided Implementation 1: Assess organizational and employee needs
  • Call 1: Discuss data collection and assessment plan.
  • Call 2: Review insights from data collection.
  • Call 3: Draft a rationale for RTO.

Guided Implementation 2: Create the RTO policy
  • Call 1: Discuss the organization’s office space logistics.
  • Call 2: Formulate guiding principles.
  • Call 3: Draft the RTO policy.

Guided Implementation 3: Roll out the RTO policy
  • Call 1: Create an action plan to roll out the RTO policy.
  • Call 2: Develop a communication plan.

Contributors

  • Karey Reilly, Director, Talent Management, Calgary Board of Education
  • Sarah Hernandez-Silva, Manager, Talent, Bow Valley College
  • 2 anonymous contributors