Interested in more careers-related content? Check out our new weekly Work Life newsletter. Sent every Monday afternoon.
THE QUESTION
My workplace recently brought us back to the office for four days a week. I manage a team of six people and it’s been really tough to enforce the mandate and keep us all motivated.
Two of the six have submitted medical exemptions, so they only need to come in for one or two days. The others keep coming up with sporadic excuses to not come in, such as their car broke down or they’re under the weather. Honestly, I don’t blame them because our job can 100 per cent be done remotely (we did this successfully during the pandemic), but this is a larger company-wide policy.
I’m having trouble motivating myself, too, because I’d also rather be at home. I feel frustrated that people aren’t following the rules. What can I do to keep my team motivated and feel more excited about being back in the office?
THE FIRST ANSWER
Karen MacMillan, assistant professor of organizational behaviour, Ivey Business School, Western University, London
Unless you own a magic wand, I don’t think you can get your people to be excited to be back in the office. It’s like asking someone to fly economy when they have gotten used to business class. It’s tough to get pumped about a downgrade.
That said, because you seem to understand how your people are feeling, this could be a good opportunity to connect with your team. Be authentic and let them know that you are struggling with the new mandate as well, but that you want to support organizational leaders because that’s part of the job.
I would consider offering some grace where you can to team members who are calling in with ‘excuses,’ at least for a while, especially if you can count on them to still get the work done.
The good news is that there are things you can do to boost motivation levels. Having people together can have some advantages, such as building social connections and learning from each other. Mindfully look for ways to use the times when you’re all in-office to build up these opportunities. For instance, you could have your department meetings in-person and schedule in some teambuilding or learning activities each time.
It also might be good to start tracking the outcomes connected to this new policy. How is morale? Are you in danger of losing people? Has productivity been affected? Are people more/less stressed? When leaders like yourself collect data and share information with policymakers, it can often spark a reconsideration of policies if they are not actually helping.
THE SECOND ANSWER
Tanisha Tulloch, chief people officer, Ezra Coaching, Toronto
Leading through change starts with acknowledging a simple truth: people’s feelings are real and so are the circumstances we are all navigating. As a leader, naming both (and inviting your team into that honesty) creates connection. When you are willing to share your own perspective and uncertainties, you model trust, vulnerability and transparency, which are cornerstones of human-centred leadership.
Motivation rises when people feel you are not enforcing a mandate from above, but rowing alongside them. That openness also gives your team space to reflect on what is driving their own resistance. Once those perspectives are on the table, you can shift toward the practical reality of the mandate. Understanding the “why” behind the organizational decision is important, but it cannot depend on nostalgia for a pre-pandemic workplace that no longer exists. Instead, invite real conversations about what is hard and what is positive about being back in the office and be transparent about your own adjustments. This builds a culture of ownership rather than silent frustration.
It is also important to remember that remote work offered autonomy and flexibility, and those needs have not disappeared. Finding intentional ways to bring those qualities into your in-office culture can make the transition feel more manageable and supportive. For example, protect meeting-free blocks for deep work or create optional “walk and talks” where teams can collaborate in person on work that genuinely benefits from being together.
When you hold space for both the emotional and practical realities and engage the team in shaping the path forward, the transition becomes a shared responsibility. That sense of connection helps people redirect their energy toward collaborating more naturally, which leads to stronger productivity and quicker business outcomes.
Have a question for our experts? Send an e-mail to NineToFive@globeandmail.com with ‘Nine to Five’ in the subject line. E-mails without the correct subject line may not be answered.