Hybrid work in high-tech companies : why do employees need to be back at the office again?
Shaikh, Naziya (2025)
Diplomityö
2025
School of Engineering Science, Tietotekniikka
Kaikki oikeudet pidätetään.
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2025072579215
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2025072579215
Tiivistelmä
The structure of the working tradition and attitudes towards work have undergone significant changes due to the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the ongoing pandemic years, companies have shifted towards remote work, whereas at present, some companies are prohibiting remote work, even though many offices are half empty. This research will offer insights regarding the sudden shift of the companies from remote work to a 3 to 5-day, in-office presence Return to Office working model (Hybrid working model).
The research has been carried out using a qualitative approach, where the data was collected from the newspapers, job portals, and companies’ internal policies to study the factors that are influencing the Return to Office policy. The research has been carried out on high-tech companies that are responsible for developing software. For the purpose of this research, the research has been done on 12 companies across the globe.
The research has found the 4 major factors for companies to impose the strict Return-to-Office work. First, it highlights the factors influencing the companies to push back their workforce to the regular office premises for work, for at least 3-5 days, second, it sheds light on the employees’ resistance to accepting the RTO policy; third, it mentions the employees' demands that are required to be considered to return to the office workspace; and lastly, the fourth finding states the challenges that companies face due to employees’ for not returning and working from the office space.
The findings reveal innovation and collaboration, productivity monitoring, security concerns, guidance and mentorship, and infrastructure concerns as the main reasons for imposing RTO, whereas commute burden, relocation stress, lack of promotional growth, family support, and flexibility were identified as the factors for resisting RTO by employers.
Finally, the research summarizes the advice to promote onsite work, which will help many other companies to restore life in their offices.
The research has been carried out using a qualitative approach, where the data was collected from the newspapers, job portals, and companies’ internal policies to study the factors that are influencing the Return to Office policy. The research has been carried out on high-tech companies that are responsible for developing software. For the purpose of this research, the research has been done on 12 companies across the globe.
The research has found the 4 major factors for companies to impose the strict Return-to-Office work. First, it highlights the factors influencing the companies to push back their workforce to the regular office premises for work, for at least 3-5 days, second, it sheds light on the employees’ resistance to accepting the RTO policy; third, it mentions the employees' demands that are required to be considered to return to the office workspace; and lastly, the fourth finding states the challenges that companies face due to employees’ for not returning and working from the office space.
The findings reveal innovation and collaboration, productivity monitoring, security concerns, guidance and mentorship, and infrastructure concerns as the main reasons for imposing RTO, whereas commute burden, relocation stress, lack of promotional growth, family support, and flexibility were identified as the factors for resisting RTO by employers.
Finally, the research summarizes the advice to promote onsite work, which will help many other companies to restore life in their offices.