August 1, 2025
Return-to-office mandates might not be practical for the average person, especially those with children.
As more companies roll out return-to-office mandates, employees are finding it increasingly challenging to balance workplace demands with their personal needs and responsibilities, especially families.
In recent years, a large portion of the corporate workforce has been forced back into the office, whether through full-time schedules or hybrid models. These return-to-office (RTO) mandates have been driven by a range of factors, from meeting commercial lease obligations to aligning with generational attitudes about remote work. As a result, many major corporations have enforced strict in-office requirements for their employees.
But Dr. Melissa A. Wheeler, Senior Lecturer of Business Administration at RMIT University, argued that return-to-office mandates are out of touch with today’s realities. Whether you’re a parent juggling childcare or a single adult navigating the pressures of inflation, Wheeler points to the growing challenges that make in-person work increasingly unmanageable for many.
“I need to be close to home, or at least, one parent in my household does,” she explained in Forbes. “The demands and costs associated with our modern lifestyles require two working parents. The reality is that both parents cannot logistically work full-time, commute, and care for children.”
When it comes to the impact RTO mandates have on working families, Wheeler listed three reasons why the mandates won’t work:
The Village Needed to Raise a Child is Gone
Gone are the days when extended families lived just a few miles apart. Many baby boomers who once helped care for their grandkids are now either still working, living far away, or are no longer physically able to provide that support. As a result, today’s parents have far less access to free or affordable childcare compared to previous generations. That often leaves one parent with a tough choice: either work from home or step away from the workforce altogether to care for their children without going into debt.
Childcare Costs Are At An All-Time High
Childcare costs have been on the rise, jumping nearly 29% over the last five years, outpacing overall inflation and making quality care harder to afford for many families. Even for those who can cover the cost, scheduling issues remain. Most childcare centers and before/after school programs don’t open early enough or stay open late enough to accommodate a full workday plus a commute. As a result, for many modern families, the most practical and cost-effective childcare solution has become having one parent stay home.
RTO Mandates Can Set Back Gender Equality
With the previous examples highlighting why one parent often has to stay home, it’s usually women who end up making that sacrifice, despite the progress they’ve made in the workforce. Many women put their careers on hold to raise children, which can mean missing out on promotions and long-term career growth. Meanwhile, men often work longer hours to make up the difference, even as a single income still struggles to cover costs in an economy where dual incomes have become a necessity.
For those without children, return-to-office mandates still bring their own set of challenges. The loss of work-life balance, coupled with rising transportation costs, can put severe strain on already tight budgets. According to Wheeler, something as routine as a daily commute can cost workers up to $1,700 a month.
“With rising costs of fuel, highway tolls, take-away coffees, and lunches out, working from home is a necessary cost-saving mechanism for many employees,” she explained.
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