What’s tanking your business? How to fix RTO, AI and more in 2024

Published 2 Min Read

A Black man with a headset is on a video call with colleagues at his desk in his living room.
Kateryna from AdobeStock

It’s a new year, but that doesn’t mean old issues are going away. Are employers prepared to take on the continuous consequences of return-to-office mandates, AI acceleration and disconnection in the workplace?

The last four years have completely transformed the traditional 9-to-5 office job, as COVID and tech advancements changed where and how people work. And yet, a precarious economy and the revoked flexibility that came with an influx of RTO mandates have left employees feeling even more stressed and alienated from their workplace. Nearly 60% of workers are experiencing burnout at their current jobs, and only 48% believe their employers care about their mental health, according to Aflac. 

Dr. Kellerman believes the key to a productive, healthy workforce is fostering a sense of agency, meaning employees can choose the best way to work without punishment or alienation. RTO mandates actively work against that, and it’s making employees unhappy. According to a BetterUp survey, workers forced to return to the office in some capacity are 2.4 times more likely to cite resentment as an obstacle to their ability to work well. 

Read more: ‘Mismatched workers’ are derailing your hybrid work plans

Deanna Cuadra
Senior Reporter

Deanna Cuadra is a senior reporter at Employee Benefit News. Her work covers healthcare, U.S. policy and reform, challenges faced by women and parents in the workplace and innovation in work culture … Read full bio


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