RTO Mandates: Hard Truths for Leaders

After Amazon imposed a strict return-to-office policy that takes effect in January 2025, other companies followed suit. But are RTO mandates a way to boost productivity and charm Wall Street - or just a way to lose your best performers? In this short video, Brian Elliott, who has studied RTO mandates extensively, explains the latest research and offers examples of how such mandates have played out. He also discusses why they often don't work as intended and what leaders should do instead. For more advice on RTO mandates and successful hybrid work models, read Elliott's article, "Return-to-Office Mandates: How to Lose Your Best Performers," here: https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/return-to-office-mandates-how-to-lose-your-best-performers/ 00:00 Introduction: The Impact of Return-to-Office Mandates 00:15 Guest Introduction: Brian Elliott's Analysis 00:51 Research Findings on RTO Mandates 02:55 Disconnect Between CEOs and Employees 04:22 High Performers and RTO Mandates 05:51 Future Implications for Companies 07:57 Strategies for Measuring Productivity 10:08 Key Takeaways and Final Thoughts 11:42 Conclusion and Further Resources