Your team’s back in the office, and what should feel like a step toward normalcy has somehow turned into a mountain of frustration. Team members are stuck in traffic, flexibility feels like a thing of the past, and parents are juggling snow days like a Vegas card dealer. As a business leader, it’s your job to ease these frustrations, because happy employees are productive employees.
We at The Metiss Group have spent decades helping leaders create high-performing teams, and we’re here to help you navigate the nuances of today’s return-to-office (RTO) reality.
In this article, we’ll explore:
- Why RTO feels so different post-pandemic
- How to foster a flexible in-person office environment
- Why emotional intelligence (EQ) is your secret weapon
Why RTO Feels Different Post-Pandemic
Returning to the office post-pandemic isn’t as simple as just "going back to the way things were." Companies might be asking employees to return to the workplace like it’s 2019, but the world has changed since then.
Employees, families, and even daily routines are different now, which means going back isn’t the same as going backward. It’s a whole new ballgame, and it’s important to recognize why.
Families Are Feeling the Pinch
Take parents, for example. Before the pandemic, schools rarely closed for weather unless there was a major storm. Now, even the possibility of bad weather, like a freeze warning, can lead to remote learning days. 
One of the team members here at The Metiss Group’s Charlotte office has two school-aged children. Since the end of Christmas break, her children have had an additional five — yes, FIVE! — remote or delayed school days so far this year because of the threat of icy weather. And we’re only three weeks into January! That’s a lot of extra flexibility she needs from us.
While this “learn-from-home” approach keeps kids’ education on track, it often throws a wrench into parents’ work schedules. Empathy is key here: understanding how these changes impact your employees’ ability to juggle work and home life is essential to creating a supportive workplace.
Workers Expect Flexibility
During the pandemic, employees discovered the benefits of working from home (WFH), and those perks are tough to give up cold turkey.
It’s not just the freedom to toss in a quick load of laundry between meetings or squeeze in a doctor’s appointment without burning a day of PTO. It’s also the lack of commute, a time drain that many now view as a necessary evil, but not a productive part of their day.
Add in the financial burden of commuting (gas, tolls, parking, or transit passes) and the sticker shock of buying lunch again, and it’s no wonder employees are feeling frustrated with RTO.
How To Foster A Flexible In-Person Office Environment
Flexibility doesn’t have to mean a return to full-blown WFH days. Small, thoughtful changes can bridge the gap between office collaboration and employee satisfaction. Here’s how:
Support the Commute
My friend recently returned to the office in South Charlotte and was offered a toll road travel allowance. It’s a small gesture, about $20 a week, but it can make a world of difference for your team members. It shows your team that you value their time and acknowledge the added expense of being back in the office.
Stock the Breakroom
Snacks and coffee might seem trivial, but they’re not. Having snacks available means employees don’t have to pack a lunch at dawn or fork out cash for a midday sandwich. It’s a small act of care that makes the office feel less like a chore and more like a community.
Offer Flexible Start/Stop Times
At The Metiss Group, we’ve embraced flexible start/stop times to help employees avoid rush-hour traffic or get a jump on personal priorities.
One of our team members leaves at 4 p.m. most days, which means she can go on a jog before the sun sets, and she then finishes any leftover work later from home. This balance lets her stay productive while meeting personal goals — and we all benefit from her energy and focus.
The key is to focus on the benefits, not just the costs. Sure, providing travel allowances or free coffee costs money, but what’s the ROI in terms of productivity, retention, and employee happiness?
A flexible, thoughtful approach to RTO needs to be intentional, and in return, you’ll get a long-term investment in your team.
Why Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Is Your Secret Weapon
Offering flexibility can be tricky, though. What works for one employee might not work for another. This is where your emotional intelligence (EQ) as a leader comes into play.
First of all, empathy is non-negotiable. Your team is made up of individuals with unique needs, and blanket policies won’t cut it. If you’re offering toll benefits but most of your team walks to work, you’re missing the mark.
Likewise, if free coffee and granola don’t resonate with your team, it’s a wasted effort. Empathy is about understanding your team’s diverse challenges and crafting solutions that feel fair and inclusive for as many people as possible.
Developing your capacity for problem-solving is also essential. Leaders with low problem-solving ability (another subscale of EQ) may resort to inaction because solving these challenges feels too complex.
But doing nothing isn’t neutral, it’s a decision that can breed resentment. Emotional intelligence gives you the tools to put yourself in your employee’s shoes and create equitable, thoughtful solutions.
Why This All Matters
The Return to Office may be the new normal, but it still requires empathy and intentional leadership. Employees experienced the magic of remote work in 2020, and you can’t just put that genie back in the bottle without some give-and-take.
Superstars, a.k.a. the employees you can’t afford to lose, expect flexibility, and they’ve proven they can handle it. If you’ve truly built a team you trust, then giving them room to balance work and life will only make them more engaged and loyal.
And let’s not forget the perks you, as a leader, are already enjoying. Thanks to modern tech, your team can respond to emails from anywhere, even at home in the evening. This flexibility benefits you, too, but it’s a two-way street. If you want to keep reaping the rewards of a connected, responsive workforce, you need to offer them some flexibility and empathy in return.
The Bottom Line on Minimizing RTO Frustration
Return-to-office policies are here to stay, but leaders who dismiss employees’ frustrations will never achieve the engaged, collaborative in-person environment they crave. To make that vision a reality, you need to meet your team members in the middle — with emotional intelligence as your guide.
At The Metiss Group, we help leaders like you develop the EQ skills needed to navigate these challenges. By embracing emotional intelligence, you can transform RTO from a source of frustration into an opportunity for growth.
Now that you understand the importance of EQ when returning to the office, the next step is to understand what an EQ 360 assessment is and how it could make an impact on your organization during the return to office.
