I don't think RTO is evil

I recently got into a reddit argument. I know. Forgive me. There are a few subreddits, such as r/webdev, r/linkedinlunatics, r/programming (and more obviously r/WFH r/antiwork, and r/remotework) that whenever the concept of RTO (Return to Office) comes up, everyone launches into a frenzy to slam whoever even considers a return to the office. There's a lot of discourse on the internet about how evil it is, about how corporations want to suck you back into their grasp and force you to sit in traffic and listen to John from accounting talk about his new puppy that he bought for his daughter's birthday.

It's all very cinical; not very pragmatic, though.

There are different arguments as to why "Evil managers" may want their employees to return to the office. To name a few:

• It's all real estate! Companies are shackled to billion-dollar real estate portfolios. Rather than admit a strategic error, they force employees back.
• • "The maximalist position of 40 hours at the office is largely a conspiracy to preserve real estate investments"
• Your manager wants to SEE you to know you're doing work. For managers whose authority is derived from line-of-sight supervision, this is a desperate reclamation of control!
• • "Rto policies are driven by mgmt desire for visibility and control"
• It's a soft-layoff. They instill RTO, then whoever doesn't want to come back, leaves! Saves 'em money.
• • "my company mandated RTO and already lost half our team who left for other remote work"
• Ego - some managers/bosses crave the "buzz" of a full office.
• Governments want it to boost economy.
• • "governments of citues badly want RTO because it brings people actually into the city daily, keeping the local economy flowing to keep the city alive."

How would you explain this to people that are going into the world of work?

It's been proven that students don't learn as well remotely as they do in lectures, with access to the professor and teaching assistants in person. Then, as if a flip switches, when they go into the world of work, it's easier to be productive and learn from home?

I think it's more nuanced than that - it's easier to manage an employee where you're having more non-intentional interactions with them in an office. These 'non-intentional interactions' are goldmines for learning, especially early on. It’s often simply easier for managers and senior colleagues to guide and mentor new team members, like recent graduates, when they're physically present. This is partly because developing professional communication skills often requires more frequent, informal check-ins, which are more naturally facilitated in an office

It's hard to find good managers, and it's even harder to find managers who manage well remotely. Remote management is a skill that not many have. This is a calculated move, but I don't think real estate prices make the most of that calculation.

New Hires Struggle

"As to your last point, yes I've seen this myself. Most of my team works from home 3 days or even completely, but new hires are struggling to learn our business processes, etc using just Zoom. The original members have no problem with new projects."

"Lots of experienced team members think they're more productive because they no longer need to mentor new employees. That's an overall net loss for the company."

A note on Digital Equity

When is RTO bad?

When you need people in your industry that don't live around you.

When you bring people in the office, just to call customers outside of the office.