Why the Best Return-to-Office Strategy Isn't a Return-to-Office Mandate
The "September Push" is driving many organizations to revisit return-to-office policies. Learn why attendance mandates may fall short and how companies can increase office attendance by creating meaningful, high-value in-person experiences.
September can often feel like a second New Year in the workplace. As employees return from summer vacations and business activity picks up, teams reconnect, calendars fill up, and organizations refocus on year-end goals. Many companies use this time to launch new initiatives, reset priorities, and re-establish routines, creating natural momentum and renewal.
The shift from summer's slower pace to a more structured work environment makes September a great time to introduce change.
The September Push Phenomenon
Alongside this annual workplace reset comes what many HR professionals now recognize as the "September Push."
The September Push is a seasonal corporate trend in which executives use the post-Labour Day period as a strategic opportunity to reinforce or expand Return-to-Office (RTO) requirements. As routines reform and expectations reset, organizations often believe employees may be more receptive to workplace policy changes.
This trend continues across industries as employers push for higher office attendance, moving toward 3-5 days in-office. From Fidelity and TikTok to Bank of America, 2026 is proving no different, with several major organizations expanding their return-to-office requirements.
The Downside of Return-to-Office Mandates
While September is ideal for encouraging workplace re-engagement, research suggests mandatory return-to-office policies may not be the most effective approach.
Academic literature indicates that RTO mandates are more likely to be introduced by organizations that are already underperforming. Rather than driving performance improvement, organizations may implement these policies in response to broader challenges.
Additionally, research on major technology companies, including Microsoft, Apple, and SpaceX, has found that RTO mandates can lead to disproportionate turnover among longer-tenured employees. This is particularly concerning because experienced employees often bring significant organizational knowledge, institutional memory, and mentoring capability. As a result, organizations risk losing some of their most valuable employees when attendance requirements are perceived as overly restrictive or disconnected from the realities of modern work.
Furthermore, evidence related to organizational performance remains mixed. While some leaders believe office attendance automatically leads to stronger outcomes, research has generally found limited evidence that attendance mandates alone produce meaningful improvements in productivity, engagement, or business performance.
The core challenge is that attendance itself is not the same as collaboration. Simply requiring employees to be in the office does not guarantee stronger teamwork, innovation, knowledge sharing, or better company performance.
A Different Direction Than Strict Mandates
Although strict RTO mandates may not be the most effective solution, September remains an excellent time to influence workplace behaviour. As employees re-establish routines after the summer, organizations have a unique opportunity to encourage new workplace habits.
The challenge is that employees are not necessarily resisting the office itself. Rather, they resist office attendance that lacks a clear purpose, especially when lengthy commutes lead to a day spent on virtual meetings that could just as easily be done from home.
The key takeaway is that attendance should be the outcome of a positive workplace experience, not the objective itself.
How Organizations Can Build Better Workplace Strategies
One challenge with blanket attendance policies is that they assume all employees work in the same way. In reality, work requirements vary significantly across roles, teams, and departments. A more effective approach is often to establish structured team or anchor days, where employees come together for activities that benefit from face-to-face interaction.
Rather than measuring success solely through attendance rates, organizations should ensure office days are intentionally designed around high-value experiences such as:
- Mentorship opportunities
- Collaborative problem-solving
- Creative ideation sessions
- Team-building initiatives
- Relationship development
A Better September Strategy: Build Reasons to Come In, Not Requirements
If an organization is looking to increase office attendance and does not know where to start, consider the following workplace initiatives:
- Cross-functional innovation challenges
- Departmental strategy and budget-planning sessions
- Team-based social competitions
- Leadership AMA (Ask Me Anything) events
- Employee innovation pitch days
- Internal showcases of successes and lessons learned
- Peer learning sessions focused on mistakes, growth, and psychological safety
When employees consistently see a clear benefit to being on-site, office attendance becomes a natural byproduct of meaningful work rather than a response to organizational requirements.
The Bottom Line
The September Push may be a convenient time for organizations to revisit workplace expectations, but research suggests the most successful strategies are not built around attendance mandates.
Instead, they focus on purposeful collaboration, role-based flexibility, meaningful workplace experiences, and clear business outcomes. Employees are more willing to spend time in the office when they understand the value of being there and when in-person work supports activities that cannot be replicated as effectively remotely.
September offers organizations a powerful opportunity to shape workplace behaviour. The question is not whether employees should be in the office more often, but how organizations can create environments that make people want to be there.
Organizations that focus on creating value from in-person time are far more likely to drive engagement, retention, and long-term performance than those that simply require employees to show up.
