Return-to-office won't actually make your employees more productive, study says

McKinsey found "no clear winner" among remote, hybrid, and in-person work arrangements

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As CEOs of major companies like Amazon and JPMorgan Chase call their workers back into the office full-time, they all seem to have a common explanation: They’re doing it for the sake of productivity. A new study from consulting firm McKinsey challenges that assertion.

Executives seem to believe that remote work makes employees lazier. But McKinsey found that productivity in the workplace has little to do with where the employees are getting their work done.

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“There is no clear winner when it comes to a working model that provides a high level of employee experience and productivity,” the firm said in a new report.

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That news is probably welcome to employees at places like Amazon (AMZN-1.84%) and JPMorgan, who have been trying to convince their bosses to rescind their return-to-office orders.

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McKinsey found that “in-person, remote, and hybrid workers all report mostly similar levels of intent to quit, burnout, effort, and satisfaction.”

“This pattern largely holds true regardless of gender, though there are slight differences across generations and caregiving status,” it added.

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McKinsey said executives who think return-to-office will be a panacea to their productivity problems should instead focus on “collaboration, connectivity, innovation, mentorship, and skill development.” Those five qualities, the firm found, are essential to improving workplace performance and strengthening organizational health.

Despite the finding, McKinsey said the proportion of companies engaging in mostly in-person work doubled between 2023 and 2024, as companies continue to call their workers back to the office.

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It found also that more than one in three employees is currently planning on leaving their job.