Getting It Right: Why Monitoring Employee Emotions Matters When Increasing Office Days

Over the past year, UK businesses have steadily increased the number of in-office days expected from employees. Some are moving from two to three days, others pushing for four or even full-time presence. The shift is often driven by good intentions: rekindling collaboration, boosting innovation, or reviving company culture.

But when this transition isn’t handled thoughtfully, it can do more harm than good.

The Risks of Getting It Wrong

While returning to the office isn’t inherently negative, the way it's implemented has a huge impact. Here's what happens when organisations misjudge the emotional and practical impact:

1. Employee Wellbeing Declines

UK surveys are already showing signs of trouble:

• 37% of employees say going into the office more increases their stress, anxiety or worry (Slack UK Survey, 2024).
• 38% of employees reported that just hearing about stricter return-to-office mandates affected their wellbeing (Hays, 2024).
• The CIPD found that over 1 million UK employees left jobs this year due to a lack of flexibility.

The message? Even well-intentioned office mandates can lead to emotional fatigue, burnout and attrition when they disregard personal circumstances and preferences.

2. Engagement and Trust Erode

If employees feel that decisions are being made to them rather than with them, engagement quickly suffers. Inconsistent messaging, perceived unfairness, and inflexible structures can breed resentment, especially when people have built effective remote or hybrid workflows.

3. Diversity, Equity & Inclusion May Suffer

Return-to-office policies can unintentionally disadvantage groups like:

• Working parents and carers
• People with disabilities or health conditions
• Those with long or costly commutes
• Neurodiverse individuals who thrive in quieter, controlled environments

When policies fail to account for these differences, inclusion takes a hit.

What Companies That Are Doing It Right Are Getting Right

Fortunately, some organisations are showing how to implement increased office days without losing their people in the process. Here’s what sets them apart:

1. They Measure First Then Move

High-performing organisations use pulse surveys, wellbeing checks, and employee sentiment tools before changing working patterns. They gather data on:

• Commute tolerance
• Preferred in-office frequency
• Perceived productivity
• Mental and physical health trends

They don’t guess. They measure.

2. They Communicate with Transparency

They clearly explain:

• Why they’re increasing office days
• What benefits they hope to unlock
• How feedback is being incorporated
• What flexibility remains

Trust is built through clarity. These companies avoid vague statements like “to improve culture” without showing employees how that will be achieved in practice.

3. They Support the Transition

Rather than enforce rigid rules, they support employees through:

• Flexible hours (e.g. to reduce peak commuting times)
• Travel subsidies or parking support
• Gradual implementation (phasing changes over weeks/months)
• Listening forums or town halls for real-time feedback

This reduces resistance and increases buy-in.

4. They Act on Feedback

Crucially, the best organisations don’t just ask for feedback, they utilise pulse surveys to track and trace “Here’s what you told us. Here’s what we’re doing.”

Whether it’s adjusting expectations for parents, upgrading office facilities, or offering more autonomy on remote days, this step is what turns a policy into a partnership.

5. They Recognise There’s No One-Size-Fits-All

They embrace flexibility where possible:

• Some teams may need more face-to-face time than others
• Some roles are better suited to remote work
• Some employees are in completely different life stages and locations

Successful companies design hybrid policies with equity in mind, not uniformity.

Returning to the Office Isn’t the Problem - Disengagement Is

The UK is moving into a new phase of hybrid work, and increased office time may be part of that future. But the risk isn’t remote vs office, it’s ignored emotion vs engaged emotion.

Mandates without empathy can:

• Trigger attrition
• Erode psychological safety
• Harm wellbeing and performance

Instead, by taking the time to measure how employees feel, supporting them through change, and being willing to adapt, companies can achieve the best of both worlds: real-life connection and long-term engagement.

Final Word

Increased office days don’t need to come at the cost of employee engagement.

But leaders must be intentional. Monitor and survey emotions. Listen actively. Support transitions. And most importantly treat employee experience as a core business priority, not an afterthought.