How To Make Remote Work Succeed Amid Return To Office Mandates

Forbes - Mar 24th, 2025
Open on Forbes

As the remote work trend faces challenges, many businesses and government entities, including the Trump administration, JPMorgan, and Dell, are advocating for a return to office-based work environments. These mandates emphasize the benefits of onsite work such as enhanced team spirit and collaboration. However, the pushback against remote work overlooks the critical advantages of remote arrangements, including access to global talent and increased innovation.

In his book, 'The World is Your Office,' Harvard professor Prithwiraj Choudhury highlights the potential of remote work, advocating for work-from-anywhere policies that maximize talent diversity and flexibility. He suggests strategies like asynchronous communication and knowledge-sharing to overcome remote work challenges. Choudhury also notes the importance of addressing professional and social isolation through hybrid and virtual social strategies. The debate reflects broader tensions between traditional work models and evolving remote work opportunities, as companies navigate post-pandemic realities.

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RATING

6.8
Fair Story
Consider it well-founded

The article provides a generally accurate and balanced overview of the current state of remote work and return-to-office mandates. It effectively highlights the benefits and challenges of both work arrangements, offering insights from credible sources like Professor Prithwiraj Choudhury. However, the article could be improved by incorporating more diverse perspectives and detailed source citations to enhance its credibility and transparency. The topic is timely and of significant public interest, given the ongoing debates about the future of work. While the article is well-structured and readable, it could engage readers more effectively by including personal stories or interactive elements. Overall, the article succeeds in informing readers about an important issue but could benefit from additional depth and context to maximize its impact.

RATING DETAILS

7
Accuracy

The story generally aligns with the current trends and policies regarding remote work and return-to-office mandates. It accurately identifies the push from business leaders for employees to return to offices and highlights some companies like JPMorgan and Dell that have issued such mandates. However, the mention of the Trump administration's role in ending remote work for federal employees is incorrect, as these policies are more aligned with the Biden administration's recent actions. The article also suggests a broad mandate from states like California and Texas, which may not be entirely accurate as these decisions are often made at the company level rather than state-wide. Moreover, the benefits of remote work as outlined by Professor Prithwiraj Choudhury are well-supported, indicating a balanced presentation of the topic.

8
Balance

The article provides a balanced view by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of remote work and return-to-office policies. It highlights the benefits of onsite work, such as enhanced teamwork and communication, while also acknowledging the advantages of remote work, like access to global talent and increased innovation. The inclusion of Professor Choudhury's insights on remote work adds depth to the article, offering a counterpoint to the push for returning to the office. However, the article could have been improved by including more perspectives from employees who are directly affected by these mandates.

8
Clarity

The article is well-written, with a clear structure and logical flow. It effectively communicates the main points about the current state of remote work and return-to-office mandates. The language is accessible, and the tone is neutral, making it easy for readers to understand the complexities of the issue. However, the article could benefit from more explicit definitions of terms like 'asynchronous communication' for readers unfamiliar with them.

6
Source quality

The article references credible sources, such as Harvard Professor Prithwiraj Choudhury, which lends authority to its claims about remote work benefits. However, it lacks direct citations or references to specific studies or reports that support the claims about company and state-level mandates. Including more diverse and authoritative sources, such as recent surveys or industry reports, would enhance the article's credibility and reliability.

5
Transparency

The article does not provide detailed explanations of its sources or the methodology behind the claims it makes. While it mentions Professor Choudhury's book, it does not specify the data or research backing his conclusions. Additionally, the article does not disclose any potential conflicts of interest or biases, which could affect the reader's understanding of the information presented. Greater transparency in how the information was gathered and verified would improve the article's reliability.

Sources

  1. https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/return-to-office-rto-mandates-what-to-do
  2. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/return-to-in-person-work/
  3. https://www.axios.com/2025/01/01/back-to-work-office-companies
  4. https://www.inc.com/bruce-crumley/workers-are-coming-to-offices-less-in-2025-despite-rise-in-rto-orders/91160336