A few weeks ago, a friend and I grabbed coffee on the Upper East Side. It was a crisp, glorious day, so I asked if she wanted to take our orders to-go and wander around Central Park.
Several years into hybrid work schedules, my pal isn’t the only one getting creative with skirting company policies. And, as news broke recently that, remote and hybrid employees of all stripes are starting to get a bit nervous that the return-to-office summons will be landing in their inbox, too.Remote and hybrid employees of all stripes are starting to get a bit nervous that the return-to-office summons will be landing in their inbox.
Next up, you’ll want to speak to your manager. Engage in a candid dialogue about the policy’s flexibility, advised Bienstock. “Some managers might be more lenient or open to individual arrangements,” he said., based in Santa Barbara, Calif., agreed that some employees are circumventing stringent return-to-office mandates by gaining their individual manager’s buy-in to work remotely full time.
If you have personal reasons that make working remotely justified, that may merit a discussion with HR too.Finding like-minded colleagues may be another route to getting more WFH privileges, offered Bienstock. “You may not be the only one who prefers more remote work. By building a coalition with others, you could make a stronger collective case to management about the benefits,” he said“Try to meet halfway,” said Bienstock. “Maybe suggest working from home a few days a week.