Since starting his second term, President Donald Trump has made many swift changes.
On his first day, he signed a flurry of executive orders, some of which impact HR and the workplace. One in particular ends remote work in the federal workforce, requiring all employees to work in their respective offices five days a week.
More than half (54%) of the federal government’s 2.3 million “civilian” employees already work in person, NPR reported, while just 10% work entirely remotely.
While the mandate only extends to federal workers, it could send a signal to private-sector employers about how they can handle an RTO.
“There is definitely this polarizing trend where we go from one extreme to the other, and now we’re on this other pendulum side of the extreme,” said Susan Leger Ferraro, founder and chief curiosity officer of professional training and coaching firm G3 Works.
It’s my way or the highway. By issuing an executive order, Trump is taking an “authoritarian” approach to RTO, Ferraro told HR Brew. “[The administration is saying] ‘You’re going to do what I say you’re going to do, and I don’t care,’” she said.
This may signal to executives that they can do the same, she said, abandoning the authentic, transparent leadership style that has recently become commonplace in corporate America.
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Employers retreating on flexibility. Even before Trump’s RTO mandate, companies like Amazon and Dell had called their workers back to the office, despite some experts’ suggestion that hybrid work can achieve the best of both remote and in-person arrangements.
Many companies have cited collaboration as a reason for an RTO. The Trump administration, meanwhile, has been explicit that its requirement is intended to reduce headcount and, by extension, costs.
This may be a motivating factor for employers looking “to weed out resources,” Sujay Saha, an employee experience strategist and founder of consulting firm Cortico-X, told HR Brew.
Leaders should remember that while an RTO may solve some problems, Saha said it can also create new ones, especially for employees. “It’s been four years, so people have figured out new ways of how they handle certain things,” he said, adding that his company is 100% remote.
Executives committed to an office return should be honest and clear with employees about their reasoning, even if it’s a “brutal reality,” Saha said. And given the seismic effects such a transition can have on employees’ lives, he also recommended being compassionate and understanding, giving, for example, “mental adjustment time” so they can “take care of their lives before you change them.”