Leaders Are Winning The Battle, But Not The War Over Workplace Arrangements

Employers are slowly regaining the upper hand in the fight for in-person work. 

The inevitable recession could be advantageous for in-office proponents, with some firms dangling jobs in front of workers who do not want to come back into the office or abide by hybrid models.  

Although a fear-mongering tactic, this tactic appears to have diminished the fight that workplace activists have found in recent years.  

While the workforce of one year ago may have held their ground in the fight for more workplace flexibility, an economic downturn has left many cornered. Labor shortages provided professionals with leverage in their workplace preferences, but the threat of less income during a recession is unfeasible for most.

“It’s not going to be so easy to give up your job,” said Kathryn Wylde, CEO of the Partnership for New York City. “That will probably mean that people are less resistant to the requirement they are back in the office at least three days a week — which is where it feels like it is headed.”     

Leaders may have won the battle, but the war is still ongoing. The incoming recession is expected to be less-severe, and if conditions improve, professionals are likely to continue fighting for what they desire in the long run: flexibility and work-life balance.