Despite the benefits of remote work for employees, many organizations are abandoning it in favor of returning to the office full-time–or part-time in a hybrid model. A 2024 survey from BetterUp shows that the number of primarily remote roles has been cut in half–and one out of four organizations cite improved connection and culture as the business rationale behind mandated office returns.However, our research found that returning to an office often is a major disruption to one’s routine, foundational work, and overall life experience. We surveyed 1,400 full-time U.S. employees who were mandated to return to in-office work and found that they had higher burnout, stress, and turnover intentions. They also had lower trust in their organization, engagement, and productivity levels. Our results indicate that if the return-to-office transition is not handled with a high level of humanity, sensitivity, and empathy, workplace culture suffers, and the workforce's sense of belonging plummets.We also found that RTO results in pressure on employees’ flexibility, time, and even bank accounts

During the pandemic, when companies heavily invested in employee wellness solutions, BetterUp rapidly expanded its largely remote workforce, raised a $125 million Series D round, and reached a valuation of $4.7 billion.

Among the solutions, John Muir Health's HR team partnered with the online coaching platform BetterUp to provide a range of coaching opportunities to build resilience in employees and development for leaders.