The 10 Dumbest Gimmicks Employers Are Offering To Get People Back To Work
How Are Employees Luring Workers Back To Work Fancy coffee, yoga classes, and DJ parties haven’t been enough to lure workers back to work. Companies are now offering employees a…
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How Are Employees Luring Workers Back To Work
Fancy coffee, yoga classes, and DJ parties haven't been enough to lure workers back to work. Companies are now offering employees a desk of their own to encourage office attendance. Hot desking, where employees don’t have a fixed desk, became popular during the pandemic as a way to maximize office space and flexibility. However, many workers found issues with this setup: hygiene concerns, lack of personalized space, and the daily hassle of setting up each day. Now, firms like Salesforce are giving dedicated desks another try to entice more in-office time. Remember when your own desk used to just be a given at work? Well now it's an incentive.
The Issue with Goofy Back To Work Incentives
While a desk is nice, companies need to knock it off with incentives. The last place I want to do yoga is at work. The last place I'd want to be at a party would be at work. Just tell the employees to get back to work and the incentive is they get to keep their jobs. The worst thing you can do is make work "fun." No one wants that. How about offering them a guaranteed pension? If your place of business really cared about you they would TAKE care of you. Fancy coffee, yoga classes, and DJ parties might sound nice, but they don't address the core issue of why employees are hesitant to return. Reality Check: Most employees prefer clear communication and stability over frivolous perks. Knowing they have a secure job and a dedicated workspace is more motivating. Gimmicks can be more distracting than engaging. Employees don't want to mix relaxation activities with their professional environment.
We Asked Our Audience About Back To Work
“Has your workplace done any dumb gimmicks to get you back to work? What were they? Did they work?” These are the texts we got to our textline at 888-819-1025
MASSAGES?!
"Jonathan, my office tried free massages on Fridays. It didn't make me want to come back more." - Emily from Cambridge
Bring Your Pet To Work
"We had 'Bring Your Pet to Work' days. It was chaos, and productivity plummeted." - Mike in Boston
Cereal
"My company offered a cereal bar with unlimited toppings. It was fun for a week, then everyone got bored." - Sarah in Worcester
Karaoke
"We had karaoke lunchtime sessions. Most people just took a longer lunch break to avoid it." - Jake from Somerville
Hoodies
"Our office gave us branded hoodies. Nice gesture, but it didn't change my mind about remote work." - Lisa from Brookline
Pizza Parties
"We had office pizza parties every Thursday. Fun at first, but then it felt like bribery." - Dan from Cambridge
Video Games
"They installed a game room with ping-pong and video games. It just made people less productive." - Amy from Newton
Costume Days
"We had unannounced 'Random Costume Days' where we had to dress up as superheroes or historical figures. It was just confusing and uncomfortable." - Chris from Newton
Office Olympics
"Our company organized 'Office Olympics' with chair racing and paper plane contests. It’s just distracting and exhausting." - Matt from Brookline
Mandatory Fun Days
"We have 'Mandatory Fun Days' with trust falls and potato sack races. It’s like being back in middle school." - Sarah from Cambridge
