The Powerful Consequences Of Return To Office Mandates In Montana

In Montana, we have a bit more leverage as workers than a lot of states.  Right now in Montana, it's still a very tight labor market.  We talked about that a while ago.

Many Offices Are Mandating A Return To Pre-Pandemic In-Office Workers

Many corporations and businesses are now mandating a return to office work.  After 3 years of flexible working conditions, they've decided the companies would be better served by everyone coming in to the office.

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Corporations try to justify it with "team building" and the tired, disproven theory that people at home are slacking off as compared to if they were in the office being supervised closely.

What they don't provide is proof of these theories.  It's especially hard to buy since many companies have been making record profits since the pandemic.

The Attrition Rate is Staggering

What corporate didn't expect was the large number of employees that were NOT willing to come back into the office.

According to Yahoo! Finance, 42% of companies with return-to-office mandates are seeing a higher level of attrition than expected and 29% are having trouble recruiting new workers.

76% of workers say that if their company tries a return-to-office mandate they're prepared to find a new job.  Those surveyed equate the mandate to a 2-3% pay cut.

Montana Has Some Of The Highest Resignation Rates

From Wallet Hub, Montana has the 3rd highest resignation rate in America.  The only states that are higher are Alaska at #2 and Delaware at #1.

One of the reasons I think Montana workers are succeeding at dictating their work terms is our tight labor market.  When there aren't a lot of workers applying for jobs, the employer is forced into more flexibility and higher pay.

This is no Great Resignation like during the pandemic.

There are people who have had 3 years to see what really matters.  Home, family, relaxing and THEN work.  It's not a bad thing.  It's a different thing.

As soon as the corporate world stops caring so much about THE LITERAL OFFICE and switches their concern to employees and their happiness, they'll see profits go through the roof.

Until then, they can be the employers that cry "lazy" when everyone knows they just aren't willing to adapt and probably still offer low pay. They brought it on themselves.