Some employees are struggling with the return to the office, providing a boost for professional etiquette training services across the country.
End of the New Normal
In the last few years, since the beginning of the global COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, millions of workers in the U.S. and overseas adapted to a new life of working full-time from the comfort of their home.
Employees Struggle With Office Return
But as companies across the country call for a return to the office across the board, U.S. employees have struggled with the switch back to the traditional workspace – and their employers are paying to get them back on track.
Etiquette Training Etiquette Booms
Workplace etiquette training is booming in the U.S., with 60% of U.S. companies planning to introduce etiquette courses for their employees, according to a job-seeking service company Resume Builder survey.
Professional Standards Slipping?
According to company managers and leaders in the etiquette training industry, many employees who previously worked from home have dropped some professional habits from their work routine and bought some of their at-home habits back to the office.
Basic Office Training
According to Kate Zabriskie, a trainer for the training and consulting company Business Training Works, the company had to carry out “basic training” that might have been common sense prior to the pandemic.
Don’t Steal Food, Don’t Get Drunk
These included reminding people not to steal their coworker’s food from the office fridge and not to “get drunk at work functions with clients.”
Communication and Dress Code
Some employees have also been struggling with appropriate dress codes for Zoom and in-person meetings with clients and how to communicate professionally via text message.
“Wild Frat House” in the Office
“We’ve had to do some basic training about how to dress for work for a client who had people showing up looking like they were hanging out at a wild frat house on a Saturday,” said Zabriskie.
Beaumont Etiquette
Anne Chertoff, the COO of etiquette consultancy Beaumont Etiquette, has claimed that demand for BE services has doubled in the last two years from businesses across a wide range of industries.
“Out of Practice”
Chertoff explained the changes in workplace habits since the pandemic, saying that many people “just got out of practice in some ways.”
You’re Not At Home
“If you just got used to taking your lunch plate and putting it next to the sink, that’s what you’re still doing,” she said. “So, you have to learn and remember that, no, you have to wash your dish because you’re not at home, you’re at the office.”
Gen-Z Struggle
The reintroduction to the workplace is especially difficult for younger Gen-Z workers, according to Chertoff, as they haven’t had the same amount of time to fully integrate into the workplace and adapt professional etiquette.
Soft Skills Are Important
Some may have even begun their careers working from home, meaning they have never had the opportunities to develop the “soft skills” of office behavior.
“Soft skills are just as important or more important than the technical skills that you learn,” Chertoff said.
Risking Their Jobs
“If you’re making your colleagues uncomfortable,” she continued, “Or your behavior is inappropriate in an office setting, or your behavior is inappropriate with clients, you’re going to lose your job or you’re going to get demoted from your position.”
Another Obstacle for Employers
It signals another obstacle that employers will have to work through to ensure a comfortable return to the office, as many workers have reportedly been unhappy with the end of their work-from-home routine.
60% of Workers Want Hybrid Opportunities
According to a 2022 survey from global research group Gallup, 60% of workers with remote-capable jobs (jobs that allow them to work outside of the office) wanted a “long-term hybrid work arrangement” where they can work from home for a percentage of the year.
Companies Call Employers Back
For the last two years, many companies have voiced the need for workers to return to the office, either full-time or part-time.
Return-to-Office Policies
Research Builder research also showed that in August 2022, 90% of U.S. companies expected a “full” return to office by the end of 2024, and many were already preparing their return-to-office policies.
Bank of America Issues Warning
However, some workers are reluctant to follow through with requests to come back to the office.
In January, Bank of America began issuing “letters of education” threatening disciplinary action to employees who refused to comply with mandatory office hours.
End of the WFH Dream?
For millions of workers who have grown used to the home comforts and little luxuries of remote work, the dream may be finally coming to an end.
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The content of this article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute or replace professional financial advice.
