Employees are spending the equivalent of a month’s groceries on the return-to-office–and growing more resentful than ever, survey finds

Young Asian woman using smartphone surrounded by commuters rushing by in subway station during office peak hours in the city (Credit: Getty Images)

Despite the benefits of remote work for employees, many organizations are abandoning it in favor of returning to the office full-time–or part-time in a hybrid model. A 2024 survey from BetterUp shows that the number of primarily remote roles has been cut in half–and one out of four organizations cite improved connection and culture as the business rationale behind mandated office returns.

However, our research found that returning to an office often is a major disruption to one’s routine, foundational work, and overall life experience. We surveyed 1,400 full-time U.S. employees who were mandated to return to in-office work and found that they had higher burnout, stress, and turnover intentions. They also had lower trust in their organization, engagement, and productivity levels. Our results indicate that if the return-to-office transition is not handled with a high level of humanity, sensitivity, and empathy, workplace culture suffers, and the workforce's sense of belonging plummets.