Companies are using carrots, not sticks, to get workers back as hopes fade for post-Labor Day return to the office

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Instead of giving employees hard deadlines to leave comfy home offices, most are enticing workers back with new amenities and perks

Executive assistant Michelle Feuillerat, left, with her dog Sunshine, and head of underwriting Lynn Seitler, with her dog Muddy, work together at Zurich American Insurance in Schaumburg on Aug. 29, 2022. The headquarters for Zurich North America uses a hybrid strategy where most people only come in a few days per week. One of the perks for employees returning to the office is the option to bring their dog with them on Mondays and Fridays.

Legal bill representative Artur Fugiel, with his dog Bella, works at Zurich North America in Schaumburg on Aug. 29, 2022. “The conversations over the past couple of years has gone from ‘We’re going to return when it’s safe’ to ‘We’re going to do what the employees want to do,’” said Jim Adler, executive vice president of commercial real estate firm NAI Hiffman. “So, there is a little bit of a tug of war going on, but have been shaping the return to the office.”

“I find myself being more productive because I don’t have that 35-to-40-minute drive from Crystal Lake,” she said. “Post-pandemic, it’s just how we work,” Rock said. “Employees are expecting that level of flexibility from their employers.” The tight job market means employers have good reason to be accommodating, for now at least, said Cassandra Francis, principal of Kariatid, a Chicago-based real estate planning and management firm. And with so many employees loving the freedom of working from home and skipping long commutes, whether companies can successfully lure people back is still unknown.

Workers did return to Chicagoland offices in greater numbers over the course of this year. According to Kastle Systems, a security firm that tracks card swipes, the metro region’s office occupancy hit 42.5% on August 24, almost equal to the national average and up from 27.1% in January.But large-scale use of remote working seems likely to continue for a long time at firms such as Discover.

Lathan said moving into Optima Lakeview, a seven-story apartment complex that opened earlier this year in the Lakeview neighborhood, made working at home even easier. Like an increasing number of apartment developers, Optima provides its residents, many of whom work from home, with high-tech conference rooms and a business center, among many other amenities.

“While it’s still early, many Grouponers have favored a remote working environment, although some are also adopting a hybrid approach,” he added. “We’ve also made the decision to open up most of our open U.S.-based roles to remote work, which is showing some promising, early returns in our efforts to recruit the best, diverse talent.”

 

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