Fully remote-workable jobs returning to the physical office full time does not directly correlate to productivity. Productivity for most jobs can be quantified, but when a job can be performed fully remotely regardless of metrics, it's assumed that proximity to the office directly impacts productivity. That may be true for some die-hard extroverts who enjoy the small talk before, during, and after meetings, the hour-and-a-half lunch run, the physical separation of home and work, or the brainstorming session at the whiteboard. Yet those "invisible" activities are rarely counted as blockers to productivity. I'd go so far as to say they make the average person's productive workday, at best, a whopping five out of eight hours -- not counting the commute to and from a physical location, which cuts further into those billable hours.
So why would large corporations send thousands of people back into a building when the same metrics apply regardless of physical location? There seem to be a few universal answers. It stands to reason there are tax savings or write-offs associated with holding office space. Others have claimed that bringing employees back stimulates the surrounding economy -- the lunch and happy-hour spots, the dry cleaners, the childcare providers. And there's a persistent facade that a hybrid option encourages retention, even though that remains to be seen.
Some jobs, naturally, require a physical location. But the pandemic showed there's an alternative that's more in line with a healthier work-life balance and supports employee wellbeing -- alongside things like an Employee Assistance Program, mental health awareness, and professional development. Of course, there will always be a few bad apples who take advantage of flexibility -- but they existed before remote work, and they still exist in the physical office. That's more a reflection of management, or of the individual, than of the work arrangement itself.
Disclaimer: Osparna is a fully remote company, even though most of the team lives within 15 miles of each other.