Boots orders staff to come back to offices full time (opens in new tab)

> "There is no doubt in my mind that the informal conversations, brief catch-ups and ability to meet in groups in person has been far more effective"

I agree with this, but on the other hand they don't provide hard data or whether they tried to make hybrid work so once again it all sounds rather arbitrary.

I think it’s difficult to implement that by order. I mean they have spend a minimum amount of time looking how to facilitate that change with changes to the office or the food (was it that bad that this is a reason to stay at home?) But to me it reads like I want to be in the office every day and therefore I find it much better if everyone comes and so I declare it to be so.

I wonder if it works like that. People changed in the last 4 years. Life situations changed and are adopted to the new situation (e.g. hold are is organised on the assumption that one parent is at home, etc.) Then I guess the commute was nobody’s favourite.

I mean there are good reasons mentioned what the value is for everyone to come to work, but time has changed.

All of that worked somehow before, but that does not mean you can just swing back to that by decree and some nice food.

As someone also mentioned, no alternatives (except for exceptions like dentist appointments) are give. Is there really more value if everyone is in the office 5 days a week over 3 days ?

Is it a disadvantage if they only come 3 days a week (this definitely needs some thought so that the people who complement each other are in at the same time).

And then there are the young employees who don’t know anything else but work from home.

I guess all of this can be handled but just one bloke who is the current boss (how long will he stay) thinks it would be nicer (for him?) if everyone come in every day might not be enough.

In the end this is a major change project at least from the employees life perspective and it does not feel like it is managed as such.

It might be interesting follow up and to see how that works out.

Yet another staggering example of "Rather than looking at any productivity data, I have instead decided arbitrarily that I personally prefer when everyone is here so I will spend a ridiculous amount of money on enforcing my preferences."