The debate over office mandates has become one of the defining workplace conversations of the hybrid era. What began as a temporary response to a pandemic has evolved into a deeper question about trust, autonomy and what truly drives collaboration.
Some leaders believe culture is built through shared physical experiences that screens cannot fully replicate. Others argue that forcing presence without purpose weakens the very trust organisations claim to value.
Employees have experienced flexibility and many are reluctant to give it up without clear reason. At the same time, organisations worry that without physical proximity, mentorship weakens, relationships become transactional and culture fragments.
So where does the answer lie? In mandates, in complete freedom, or in something more intentional?
Jyoti Abrol, Senior Vice President – HR, Schindler India
Flexibility works better than rigid mandates.
The debate is not really about office versus remote work. It is about intent and impact.
Whether we work independently or within organisations, the expectation is ultimately the same: to create meaningful outcomes. And outcomes are rarely created in isolation.
Collaboration, connection and teamwork remain essential.
Working from the office often enables this more naturally. Many aspects of culture are built through moments that cannot be fully replicated virtually: spontaneous conversations, mentoring interactions, team celebrations and informal problem-solving discussions.
Especially for younger employees, new hires and cross-functional teams, physical proximity can accelerate learning and relationship-building.
At the same time, remote work offers clear advantages. Reduced commuting time can improve focus and productivity, while also supporting sustainability through lower resource consumption.
Every organisation therefore needs to make decisions based on its business model, work requirements and employee expectations. For employees, the larger need today is flexibility. Flexibility creates ownership, encourages accountability and builds mutual trust.
High-performing cultures are built through clarity, flexibility, accountability and purposeful experiences. People feel connected when they are trusted and aligned to a shared purpose, whether that happens in an office, remotely or through a thoughtful blend of both.
Takeaway: The future belongs to organisations that balance business needs with flexibility, building culture through trust and purposeful experiences rather than rigid mandates.
Ashok Kanojiya, Group Head – Strategic Rewards, People Processes & Experience and HR Digital, Godrej Industries
Hybrid success depends on intentional design, not blanket policies.
The hybrid work debate has become louder than it needs to be. The reality is that neither the office nor remote work succeeds in isolation. The real value lies in balancing the two intentionally.
The office is not the enemy of autonomy, and remote work is not the enemy of collaboration. Treating them as opposites has created unnecessary friction and policy fatigue across organisations.
The best teams are not defined by location. They are defined by rhythm and purpose.
Time together matters for creative problem solving, onboarding, mentoring and the informal conversations that strengthen relationships beyond video calls.
Time apart matters for deep work, focus and personal control, things that open-plan offices and constant meetings often disrupt.
In many organisations, the office still carries cultural significance. Mentorship is often absorbed through proximity, and relationships that shape careers are built through everyday interactions, not only structured meetings. That value deserves to be preserved intentionally, not through compulsion.
At the same time, employees today have experienced genuine flexibility and are unwilling to give it up without reason. When organisations rely on blanket mandates instead of purposeful design, employees notice the difference.
The more important question is not how many days people come in, but why they come in and what happens when they do.
When teams define that clearly together, presence stops feeling forced and starts becoming valuable.
Takeaway: Intentionality matters more than mandates. When teams understand why they gather and what value those interactions create, presence becomes purposeful rather than performative.
Bhanu Chawla, Chief Human Resources Officer, OneAssist Consumer Solutions
Create an office people value, and mandates become unnecessary.
The real question is not whether organisations should mandate office days. The real question is whether they have built workplaces people genuinely want to come to.
At OneAssist, the four-days-in-office model reflects the culture the organisation has consciously created. When employees experience value in being present, attendance stops feeling like an obligation.
Collaboration and agility often improve when teams work together physically, exchange ideas in real time and solve problems collectively. In fast-moving businesses, speed of interaction can become a competitive advantage.
Beyond productivity, there is also a human dimension to office life. Shared lunches, informal conversations and everyday interactions help people feel connected to colleagues and to the organisation itself.
While remote work offers convenience, prolonged screen-based routines can sometimes create isolation and emotional distance. Human connection still matters deeply in how people experience work.
The office therefore cannot function only as a workplace. It has to become an environment that enables collaboration, connection and belonging.
When organisations focus on creating that experience, mandates become far less necessary.
Takeaway: When employees genuinely see value in the workplace experience, presence becomes a choice people make willingly rather than a rule they resist.