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The Problem with RTO...
Mar. 21st, 2025 07:23 pmThere's a problem with RTO that I'll bet the weak-manager clown execs who instituted RTO mandates were too short-sighted to see: What happens when everyone actually Rs T the O? Specifically, is there enough room?
I saw that problem firsthand when I visited a few customers' offices earlier this week. One of them, a successful technology company whose name is often in the news, had a packed house.
The first sign of trouble came when I entered the parking garage. There was a sign at the gate, "Garage Full". I went in anyway figuring I'd try my luck. The garage wasn't full, exactly, but it was getting there. In the past I've been able to find a spot easily when arriving for morning meetings. On this day the first level of the garage was packed. There were parking attendants in viz vests directing people where to go. "Go to level 2" was the instruction. On level 2 I found a space without much effort, though it did seem like the last spaces were filling fast.
I rode the parking elevator up to the main lobby, where I arrived to a crowd. There were easily 50 people standing in the lobby signing in, getting badges, and waiting for their hosts to arrive. I had to wait in line several minutes for a sign-in kiosk to become available. Then as I walked around looking for the coworker I was supposed to join before the meeting I came across a gaggle of people taking selfies standing in front of the company's logo. There was even a line of people waiting to take selfies. Ah, the easily amused.
When our host escorted us upstairs we had no problem finding a meeting room. She had wisely booked it well in advance rather than play, "Let's just see what's available". Though at exactly 11:00:01 there came a tap on the glass. The group that booked the room next were assembled and waiting outside. I've visited this company half a dozen times over the past 9 months and have never seen meeting room contention before.
As I walked back to my car in the garage I noticed that there were long rows of cars double-parked. That would explain why there were so many parking attendants earlier.... When the spaces all filled they turned into valets to move cars around in the aisles like sliding tiles a sliding puzzle game.
So there you have it. The problem with a big RTO (return to office) mandate is that a lot of offices no longer can accommodate a full workforce! Many companies took advantage of thel remote work era to reduce their real estate footprint. And even those retained enough physical space for employees to sit at desks may lack critical support staff, like those front desk people who were overwhelmed trying to badge in dozens of visitors. Or— and I'm envisioning this as a hypothetical problem, but very likely— cafeteria workers who are staffed to handle 200 people coming for lunch, not 400. I'm glad we went out for lunch nearby.
I saw that problem firsthand when I visited a few customers' offices earlier this week. One of them, a successful technology company whose name is often in the news, had a packed house.
The first sign of trouble came when I entered the parking garage. There was a sign at the gate, "Garage Full". I went in anyway figuring I'd try my luck. The garage wasn't full, exactly, but it was getting there. In the past I've been able to find a spot easily when arriving for morning meetings. On this day the first level of the garage was packed. There were parking attendants in viz vests directing people where to go. "Go to level 2" was the instruction. On level 2 I found a space without much effort, though it did seem like the last spaces were filling fast.
I rode the parking elevator up to the main lobby, where I arrived to a crowd. There were easily 50 people standing in the lobby signing in, getting badges, and waiting for their hosts to arrive. I had to wait in line several minutes for a sign-in kiosk to become available. Then as I walked around looking for the coworker I was supposed to join before the meeting I came across a gaggle of people taking selfies standing in front of the company's logo. There was even a line of people waiting to take selfies. Ah, the easily amused.
When our host escorted us upstairs we had no problem finding a meeting room. She had wisely booked it well in advance rather than play, "Let's just see what's available". Though at exactly 11:00:01 there came a tap on the glass. The group that booked the room next were assembled and waiting outside. I've visited this company half a dozen times over the past 9 months and have never seen meeting room contention before.
As I walked back to my car in the garage I noticed that there were long rows of cars double-parked. That would explain why there were so many parking attendants earlier.... When the spaces all filled they turned into valets to move cars around in the aisles like sliding tiles a sliding puzzle game.
So there you have it. The problem with a big RTO (return to office) mandate is that a lot of offices no longer can accommodate a full workforce! Many companies took advantage of thel remote work era to reduce their real estate footprint. And even those retained enough physical space for employees to sit at desks may lack critical support staff, like those front desk people who were overwhelmed trying to badge in dozens of visitors. Or— and I'm envisioning this as a hypothetical problem, but very likely— cafeteria workers who are staffed to handle 200 people coming for lunch, not 400. I'm glad we went out for lunch nearby.
