5 Options If Your Company Changes Its Remote-Work Policy

When his company went remote at the beginning of the pandemic, the department manager moved from New York to Montana. Even if he was now 2,000 miles from his old office, his performance flourished, as did his team’s. 

But in 2023, his company’s overall performance has sputtered, and last month, his firm mandated that all employees resume working on-site at least three days a week. Other than its headquarters in New York, the company’s only office was in Missouri—three states away.

More than 70% of companies have issued return-to-office mandates, according to a new global study, with many of these firms targeting September to begin enforcing their mandates. But these policy announcements often have brought frustrated responses from staff, many of whom have built whole new routines around remote work. Those employees feel they are confronted with a stark choice: either make substantial lifestyle changes to keep their jobs, or stay remote and risk missing out on promotions and raises—or worse, get fired.  “Employees need to be meticulous in navigating this change, because missteps can risk personal harm to careers and potentially disrupt organizational culture,” says Brittney Molitor, an executive senior partner in Korn Ferry’s Human Resources Center of Excellence.

While there’s no historical guidance for this dilemma, experts say employees might not have to take one of the most extreme paths. The return-to-office landscape is still taking shape, and employees might be able to negotiate a variety of points with their employers. Korn Ferry’s experts lay out five steps that employees can take if their company changes their remote-work policy. 

Evaluate the “if.”

Get a sense of management’s willingness to make exceptions. “Potential negotiation hinges on the premise that the company will even consider exceptions,” says David Meintrup, career coach at Korn Ferry Advance. If a company makes an exception for one employee, they may feel compelled to make exceptions for all, which becomes a slippery slope of equity and fairness. If the answer is a hard no, then employees need to evaluate how much it would realistically inconvenience them to go back into the office.

Explain why you should be an exception.

If returning to the office places an unreasonable burden on an employee, management should know. Experts recommend workers explain, comprehensively and factually, why their circumstances warrant an exception. Whether it’s childcare issues, an arduous commute, or something else, Molitor says, an employer needs details to understand the “why” behind an employee’s request for an exemption.

Ask for details.

Don’t just settle for the TL;DR version of the work policy.

Ask why the company is making a return to more daily on-site work and how this will be more beneficial than working from home. “Get as much clarity as you can on why the organization is shifting, and how they intend to differentiate remote versus office work,” says Frances Weir, a career coach at Korn Ferry Advance. For example, many companies point to increased opportunities for collaboration as the primary reason for rescinding remote-work policies. Employees can inquire about concrete plans for renewing company culture through in-person connection.

Negotiate a compromise.

When a company is open to exceptions, an employee has an opportunity to negotiate. Whether it’s a later start time, working in person three days a week instead of five, or some other compromise, employees can present options for meeting management in the middle. “It comes down to candid communication,” says Ron Porter, a senior client partner at Korn Ferry’s Global Human Resources Center of Excellence. Proactively establishing channels of conversation and fostering trusting relationships with management can better position an employee to ask for flexibility.

Issue an ultimatum.

Saying you’ll quit rather than comply with the new remote-work policy is extremely risky. Everyone wants their company to fight for them to stay, Meintrup says, but an employer can just as easily let them go. “Employees can state that they love working for their company, but if management can’t budge, they have to walk,” says Meintrup.​

However, if your performance is really good, or a hated rival is likely to swoop in and hire you, or there’s no ready replacement for you, an ultimatum might move management to be at least somewhat open to compromise. Meintrup emphasizes that it’s important to gauge how receptive your direct boss might be to an ultimatum before throwing down the gauntlet. Having the boss as an ally who can compellingly advocate for you to the company’s HR department could make all the difference.

Learn more about Korn Ferry’s career-guidance capabilities from Korn Ferry Advance. 

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