Michael Arena’s Post

Good to know! Collaboration and Innovation: I for one enjoy meeting my colleagues in the office most days of the week because you never know when an innovative idea comes about by serendipity which can greatly benefit your organization. Company Culture and Cohesion/Employee Engagement: Unplanned moments when you learn something new or share your experience with a younger colleague is priceless (mentorship). We are social beings that benefit from the presence of others whether passive or active which strengthens company culture and employee happiness/engagement. Separation of Work and Personal Life: Going to the office creates a clear boundary between work and personal life which is good for mental health. Compromises must be made to accommodate the balance of life. I think the corporate world has made many to a large degree. Economic and Social Benefits: Our city economies require office based workers to support their businesses. Doing so makes our cities vibrant. Enjoy your time in the office it is good for you!

Did the survey ask about lunch/coffee outings that aren’t technically part of this 8 hr day?

Archaic management styles perpetrated by individuals who need to feel important by surrounding themselves with their minions. I see this over an over again in many companies under the guise of "camaraderie" and "team work". Good news - workers are continuing to force a change in this thinking. Thanks for keeping this issue front and center Michael Arena

Two issues with this data: - Efficiency of said minutes in these meetings, in person vs remote , especially for meetings that are planning or problem solving - All the ad hoc live interactions that happens *between* these logged meetings. In office is more than scheduled meetings... I think there's now been many observations of major issues with complete transitions to remote/virtual at scale, without major investments in setting up whole new processes.

Thanks for calling out these data and for the great insights, Michael Arena! The seemingly endless debate about RTO typically reflects very little of the nuanced considerations and emerging research about the future of work design, flexibility, networks, and other vital considerations. Decision-makers should instead be seeking out better frameworks to guide their decisions, and this is a terrific opportunity for the HR profession to teach those decision models.

Nick keeps bringing pesky facts like these to a debate that is riddled with dogmatic people who have strong opinions strongly held!

Michael, your insights resonate deeply. Mandating a return to the office without considering the actual utility of in-person interactions can lead to unnecessary frustrations. Nick Bloom’s study brings crucial evidence to light, reinforcing the need for a balanced perspective on remote and hybrid work. Your continued dedication to examining these dynamics is truly commendable.

The question is: how relevant is the personal interaction to justify an in person meeting? It's a matter of quality, not quantity. Again, there will always be some activities or decisions that will only always have much better results if performed in person. This gets to the conclusion that activity based working plans are the way to go.

80 minutes of face-to-face time is non-trivial.

I want to meet the people who only have 80 min of face mtgs each day. I’m in 4 hours of mtgs each day easily, all via Zoom. It can be exhausting