The New Workplace Contract: What Employees Now Expect When They Come to Office

Earlier, commuting to work was not a matter of choice or discussion. It was never up for debate because it was non-negotiable. Employees didn’t have an option; they were expected to show up and they did.

But today, things aren’t the same. There has been a major shift.

Today, many employees are not so willing to commute to the office anymore. If employees arrive at the office after spending long hours commuting and still struggle to find a desk, meeting room, or parking space, it is a great deterrent. Employees are making a conscious choice of whether they should be commuting to the office and, if so, when they should do it. They weigh the pros and cons of being in office, and if it turns out to be unfavorable, they may be less inclined to come in.

But the employees can’t be blamed here.

Whether they come to office or not is dependent on the new contract and how it is being upheld by their organization.

What Did the Old Contract Look Like?

The earlier contract expected employees to be physically present every day. Employees provided their presence, time, and labor, while organizations provided them with a workplace and a salary.

Employee experience was often secondary. Desks were either allocated on a first-come-first-served basis or were permanently assigned.

In many workplaces, resources from parking to meeting rooms were grabbed by whoever came first, people hoarded these resources, and ghost bookings were rampant. The situation didn’t change, because no one knew what the alternative looked like.

Employee experience was not always optimized because it was not considered as a priority.

What Broke the Old Contract?

The shift to remote work during the pandemic redefined the entire dynamics.

Employees now had an alternative; they knew the benefits and limitations of remote work culture.

Though remote work was also far from perfect, it solved a lot of challenges that the office had made normal. Remote work also created challenges, such as disturbed work-life balance, reduced opportunities for informal team collaborations, and a sense of isolation for some employees.

But on the other hand, it gave employees greater flexibility, control over their routine, and eliminated daily commute.

Many employees became used to zero commute, flexibility, and autonomy. And now when employees are required to return to office, they are doing their math. They are weighing the pros against the cons, calculating the actual commute cost, and evaluating their workplace experience.

The issue, therefore, is not simply about working from office. It is the gap between employees’ expectations and what the physical workplace currently delivers.

The New Contract, Defined

Unlike what might be the popular belief, the new contract is not about more perks and amenities, rather it's about respecting employees’ time and effort.

In a hybrid work environment, when an employee chooses to commute to work, they invest their time, money, and energy.

So, what are employees expecting in the new contract in exchange for the time and effort involved in commuting to the office?

●       Spaces that work for the employees: Employees expect organizations acknowledge their presence in the office and ensure that essential workplace resources (desks, meeting rooms, parking slots, and more) are easily accessible.

●       Support for the commute: Employees expect organizations to take care of their commute to the office and back and not just what happens when employees reach the office.

●       Focus on employee experience: A broken desk-booking workflow, costly and unsafe commute, chaotic cafeteria, and parking difficulties signal that the organization has put in insufficient thought before asking employees to work from office.

These considerations are now becoming part of the baseline expectations that HR leaders must focus on.

Where Indian Organizations may be Falling Short

There remains a wide gap between the work models and the infrastructure meant to support them. This issue may remain invisible to leadership until it is reflected in the attrition data.

While hybrid is the new reality, the systems are still lagging as most of the HR policies have been designed around the traditional five-day work from office model. And the result can be a fragmented workplace experience. Employees experience this disconnect daily but are rarely able to articulate the problem. They simply de-prioritize coming to office.

What organizations need is a shift in perspective. Rather than viewing workplace experience as a facilities problem, it should be viewed as a talent strategy.

Instead of focusing on how to get employees back to office, the focus should be on what will make it worthwhile for employees to come to office.

What Honoring the New Contract Actually Looks Like

So, what can HR leaders do to meet these evolving expectations? The answer lies in designing better workflows and using technology not just for the sake of it, but with the right intent. The intent should be to ensure key touchpoints of an employee’s workday are taken care of so that they feel valued.

Technology available to HR today is truly transformative but it can only work if it is used effectively.

Employees should have visibility into where their colleagues are based so collaboration becomes easier. Different resources should be interlinked to reduce task repetitiveness.

For example, employees should be able to coordinate and book meeting rooms through a streamlined process. Employees should be able to pre-book their parking slots or be added to a waitlist if a slot isn’t available. Visitor experiences should be frictionless to create a positive impression while also simplifying the day for the employees who are hosting them.

The Cost of Getting This Wrong

The impact of an outdated workplace contract will not be immediate and visible from day one. But organizations that don’t update to the new contract may face long-term consequences.

From high attrition rates, inefficient resource utilization, unproductive employees, to a deteriorating culture, the potential impact can be scary.

Potential consequences can include inefficient use of workplace resources, lower employee satisfaction, reduced engagement, and challenges in attracting and retaining talent.

At this point, investing in workplace infrastructure isn’t just about facilities budget but rather talent retention and optimum workplace utilization. And it is becoming an important agenda for HR today.

Employees’ expectations from the workplace have changed and the organization that acknowledges it and works on honoring the new contract will have an advantage over those that refuse to accept the new reality.