Out of Sight, Out of Mind – The Return to the Office Debate

Over the last few weeks, many organizations are pushing for staff to come back to the office.  The debate rages on whether being in the office really matters.  Covid and the shutdowns forced business to rethink the way they operate.  However, as things rapidly return to some level of normalcy, the opinions are mixed whether being in an office setting is important.  Below are some articles that might provide some insight into the return to the office trend:

• What Leaders Are Getting Wrong About The Return To The Office (forbes.com)
• Should You Go Back To The Office (forbes.com)
• Return-to-Office Plans Amid Employee Resistance (shrm.org)
• Why a recession in 2023 could see remote workers return to the office | Reuters

From my perspective, the opinions on both sides are valid and have pros and cons.  The culture of your company will determine whether the need to have people in the office is required.  However, and perhaps I am a bit old school, I believe that there is a value in face-to-face interactions.  If you are out of sight, you potentially become out of mind when it comes time for promotions and other opportunities.  One the flipside, it also becomes easier to make reductions in force when the unfortunate need arises.    
 
Other items of interest:

• The Bottom Line: Are You Focused on the Wrong Numbers? (troutcpa.com)
• Market and Economy Commentary – 2023 Market Commentary | Stonebridge Financial Group (stonebridgefg.com)
• Transforming and Elevating Your Finance Function Webinar (RKL CPA 2/1/23; 11am-12pm)

As always, please don’t hesitate to email myself (jsanders@mpl-law.com), Andy Miller (amiller@mpl-law.com), Christian Miller (cmiller@mpl-law.com), Erik Spurlin (espurlin@mpl-law.com), Brad Leber (bleber@mpl-law.com) or anyone in our office with questions or comments.   

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