Communication is the Achilles heel of RTO mandates

The first question employees have when being asked to RTO is, “Why do we have to go back?” The common thread between all bad RTO mandates is that they neglect to make the answer to this question clear. Instead, these mandates focus on superficial incentives like free lunch or a fully stocked mini bar. While employees can appreciate some RTO perks, it only gets companies so far and will not win over employees upset about the transition in the long-term.

To effectively enact an RTO mandate, companies need to focus employee communications on why their decision to call for RTO isn’t just to mandate plain old time together, but rather, time that has a designated purpose tied to the business bottom-line. Mandating an RTO just to set up plain old time together – for example, telling everyone to come into the office 5 times a week with no reasoning – will not be well-received. Rather, companies must make the purpose of the time together abundantly clear. This can look like asking the sales and marketing teams to come in every Thursday to align on joint initiatives or simply asking everyone to come in three times a week to create clear boundaries on collaborative work versus independent work. The slight change in approach for internal communications can make all the difference in the response to an RTO mandate.

To get RTO communications right, companies must first make sure their overarching internal communications strategy is effective. To do this, companies should be regularly engaging with employees and getting a pulse check on sentiment by launching several engagement surveys throughout the course of a year. In fact, when employees are surveyed three or more times a year, they are 45% more likely to say they see themselves having a long career with their company, a promising statistic, especially if companies are concerned about retaining their top talent. Surveys are especially important when a company is weighing an RTO mandate and can make all the difference in how an RTO mandate is perceived, if employees feel their voice matters.

Consistent recognition facilitates a smooth transition

Recognition is one thing; meaningful recognition is another. Meaningful recognition is aligned with a company’s values and personalized to the recipient. Data from Achievers Workforce Institute found that 45% of employees who feel meaningfully recognized feel more connected to their workplace, and employees with a strong sense of connection are 19% less likely to job hunt. This data is critical to keep in mind, especially as companies worry about losing top talent during periods of change, like an RTO transition.

Companies need to look at RTO announcements as an opportunity to reinforce meaningful employee recognition, especially tied to the purpose behind RTO. For example, say a company is calling for RTO because it prioritizes in-person social time between colleagues. In this case, to help soften the transition to RTO, leaders should recognize individuals who take the lead in scheduling social events or go out of their way to attend them.

What gets recognized gets repeated. If the purpose behind RTO is to foster stronger social connections between colleagues, recognizing employees who are actively engaging in social events can help to reinforce positive employee behavior, encouraging others to join in. Recognition is a powerful force in employee experience, and it is more important than ever to keep recognition top of mind following major company changes, like an RTO announcement.

Related: Federal RTO order reignites office attendance debate

Flexibility is a must

In today’s workplace, flexibility is paramount. For employees who say they can live comfortably with their current compensation, work flexibility is the number one reason they will stay in their current role, according to AWI’s 2024 Engagement and Retention Report. However, the phrase ‘RTO’ has become synonymous with a lack of flexibility, even though that is not always the case.

If a company is announcing a new RTO mandate, in communications to employees, it’s a good idea to share what levels of flexibility are allowed with a mandate, such as having flexible PTO, a certain amount of days a year employees can work remotely or offering a modified schedule. For example, at Achievers we’ve always allowed for modified work schedules but have leaned into it even more ever since transitioning back to a hybrid style of work to help employees ease into the adjustment back to the office.

When a company unveils an RTO mandate, they should consider reiterating the relevant benefits they already offer to demonstrate a commitment to flexibility.

Getting RTO right

Based on the volume of RTO mandates that have been rolled out in 2025 alone, it’s safe to say they aren’t going away anytime soon. That said, they don’t have to be an immediate trigger to losing employee engagement or a company’s top talent, if communicated properly.

There is no perfect way to announce an RTO mandate, it depends on a company’s culture, employee makeup, and policy. That said, by focusing on transparent, meaningful communications around RTO, companies can implement policies that align with business goals and don’t put them at risk of losing their top talent.