Encouraging Employees to Return to the Office: Is It Necessary and How to Do It?

3/20/2025

Dace Tauriņa, Senior Consultant at Figure Baltic Advisory

95% of Organizations Offer Remote Work

In 2024, 95% of private-sector organizations offered remote work options for at least some employees. This year, 3% of companies plan to increase in-office work or transition entirely to in-person operations, while the rest maintain existing remote work policies. For comparison, in 2019, before the pandemic, only 53% of companies offered remote work options.

Employers see in-person work as beneficial for multiple reasons. It helps maintain discipline, fosters workplace culture, facilitates problem-solving, enhances creativity, and improves communication. Additionally, companies handling critical systems and sensitive data prioritize cybersecurity, which was a secondary concern during the pandemic when employee health took precedence. However, returning to in-office work won’t solve management challenges such as ineffective leadership, micromanagement, or lack of efficiency.

What Do Employees Want?

Discussions in the public sphere indicate that employees are not willing to give up remote work entirely. They prefer flexibility, with hybrid work—splitting time between home and the office—being the favoured model. Employees value the ability to plan their schedules around personal and family needs. However, remote work requires discipline, and not all employees or managers are equipped to handle it effectively.

A 2024 MERCER Talent Trends study shows that flexible and remote work options rank as the fourth most important factor influencing job changes. The most common hybrid work model in Latvia is three days in the office and two days remote. Research on productivity suggests that hybrid work yields the highest productivity levels, while fully remote work results in lower productivity.

Some Specialists Have Relocated Outside Riga

As companies push for office returns, they must consider additional factors. During the pandemic, many professionals moved from Riga to other cities and regions, such as Cēsis or Valmiera, as remote work became more accessible. For these employees, commuting back to an office in the city can be a significant challenge. Employers must therefore find ways to motivate them, recognizing that a complete return to in-office work may not be feasible.

Some companies already have different in-office attendance requirements for employees living outside the city, given their longer commute times. During the pandemic and post-pandemic period, employers often hired workers from other regions due to local talent shortages—a practice still used by foreign companies hiring Latvian employees who primarily work remotely.

In-Person Events and Commuting Compensation

Employers can mandate a return to the office, but this may negatively impact employee well-being and even drive resignations. Instead, companies can use incentives to encourage in-office attendance. The annual Figure Baltic Advisory Compensation Survey shows that one of the most common perks offered by employers is in-person events—team-building activities, corporate celebrations, office challenges, and other traditions. Increasingly, companies also provide free parking or reimburse transportation costs to ease commuting. However, these measures cannot solve issues like heavy traffic, which forces many employees to spend hours commuting.

Office Environment

Although it may seem minor, companies are increasingly focusing on making office environments more appealing. Many offices now offer free tea, coffee, snacks, and fruit. Some companies provide free meals or discounted dining options. The goal is to create a workspace that feels more like home—comfortable, inviting, and supportive of employees’ well-being.

Some offices even have designated nap rooms for employees to rest during lunch breaks, similar to working from home. Additionally, many companies have relaxed dress codes where possible and allow employees to bring pets to the office or provide childcare support.

Employers and managers must invest time and effort in explaining the decision to return to offices, as habits are powerful, especially when both leaders and employees are satisfied with remote work. A full return to in-office work is unlikely for many, so companies must remain flexible and attentive to employee needs to stay competitive.

Ultimately, the most important factor in encouraging employees to return to the office is workplace culture. A positive team atmosphere, humour, shared traditions, and a sense of belonging make employees more willing to work in person. Leadership also plays a crucial role—if managers themselves are not committed to in-office work, it will be difficult to persuade employees to return.