3 Pitfalls of Ending Your Remote Work Policy

There was a time when remote work was a novel idea that few businesses embraced. But in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work gained popularity. Not only did many companies adopt a remote work policy in 2020, but many have since maintained that policy to some degree.

However, recent data from Resume Builder shows that 90% of companies expect remote work to come to an end by the close of 2024. And you may be gearing up to bring remote work to an end at your business as well.

Doing so could be a good thing for your business. But be aware of these pitfalls you might encounter.

1. Having to bear the expense of office space

If your employees have been working remotely for the past three and a half years, it may be that you dumped your office space lease and reaped a world of savings as a result. But if you're going to be ending your remote work policy, you'll need to provide your staff with a place to work from once again. And that's a cost your business will have to bear.

Of course, it may be an expense you're prepared for. And it may be one you covered for many years before the concept of remote work even hit your radar. But be mindful of the spending changes you might have to make once you start having to pay rent again.

Remember, inflation has driven many costs upward. So you might end up spending more than expected on overhead and supplies as well as office space. It's a good idea to sit down with your accountant and review your costs before signing a lease.

2. Having employees who are less available to you

People who work from home don't spend hours behind the wheel of a car or stuck on a train. But once you put an end to your remote work policy, your employees are apt to have extended periods of time right before or after the workday when they're not reachable. That's something you may have to adjust to -- and it could also be a detriment to your business.

Imagine this scenario: You've wrapped up a meeting at 5 p.m., after which everyone leaves the office. You're trying to send out a meeting recap so that you can head home for the night as well.

Suddenly, you realize you're missing one key detail that Bob in accounting can provide you with. If Bob were home, he'd likely be reachable at 5:15. But if Bob's stuck in traffic for another hour, he won't be able to look up the numbers you want until 6:15. The result? You're stuck working late, too.

3. Losing employees who don't want to work from an office

Some employees may be growing tired of remote work. But a lot of people are no doubt enjoying the flexibility of being able to do their jobs from home. And it's workers in that latter camp who you risk losing if you bring everyone back to the office.

While it's true that companies are increasingly putting an end to remote work policies, some businesses are continuing to allow it. If you insist on in-person work, you might lose out on talented employees for that reason alone.

That said, one compromise may be to allow employees to continue working from home once or twice a week. That flexibility may be enough to get valued employees to stay put rather than move on, leaving you to scramble to find replacements.

It's easy to see why you may be done with remote work as far as your business is concerned. But do keep these pitfalls in mind as you change that policy.