The companies that continue to try to force RTO will just alienate most millennials and zoomers. Good luck finding a wide enough group of people to fill those jobs you supposedly need filled. Most workers hate RTO, no matter how much BS, posturing, and gaslighting you do corporate, you're not going to win this one.

A whopping 80% of bosses regret their initial return-to-office decisions and say they would have approached their plans differently if they had a better understanding of what their employees wanted

In other words, 80% of executives / bosses are completely incapable of listening to their employees and are now shocked that things aren't working out, when they were undoubtedly explicitly told this wouldn't go the way they think it will.

Ah well, time to blame the plebs, cut their pay and benefits, and give the execs a raise so they can confidently execute a new disaster.

I don't really know what to make of this article.

1. Bosses != executives / people in charge of making return to work decisions. Is there remorse from the people who were actually responsible for the return to work decision-making? or is it middle management who didn't really want to come back either expressing their lack of satisfaction how "corporate" executed?
2. If it really is an ineffective policy It's never too late to admit your mistake and pivot. If you aren't doing that, then what is this besides lip service?

I don't know if this is really the case but it comes across a little as "ah shucks sorry we didn't do so great with all that... oh well too late now, bygones and whatnot, get back to work." You aren't absolved lol every day the policy continues its an endorsement that its what you continue to want

It's so delicious to see this after so many months of endless RTO propaganda

Using the unused office will not "recoup" any costs, the money's gone. You're just paying for heat lights and AC in addition to increasing employee turnover, especially on the ones with easily markettable skills - often those you would most struggle to replace

The execs at my company continues to say that we're an office based company, citing collaboration and social reasons. However, I have not heard of a single person below VP level share this opinion.

Luckily, many of us are "field personnel", and mostly work either in the field or at home. Mandating that we work from the office would mean that we're "office personnel", who cannot be required to do field work. I love how corporate definitions make it easier to defend against corporate wank.

Hmmm how would you learn employees preferences... Hmmm extra furrowed brow