How Favoritism Plays A Role In Return-To-Office Mandates, Especially For High Performers

As companies introduce return-to-office mandates, who they are actually enforced to could spell trouble.

Favoritism in the workplace is taking on a new meaning as return-to-office policies hit many companies.

With a lesser emphasis on the dangers of COVID-19, big-name companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and JPMorgan Chase want their employees back in the building. However, not everyone has to reckon with such changes.

Given the viability of a remote or hybrid work schedule, top employees are leaving companies that have reinstated in-office policies that existed before the pandemic. To prevent this, high performers are getting preferential treatment. With such status, they can afford to skip out on the commute to the office.

“You can say it’s favoritism, you could say it’s preferential treatment. You could call it a host of different things, and they’re all probably right,” shared Dan Kaplan, senior client partner at Korn Ferry’s CHRO practice, to Fortune. “While there’s no one-size-fits-all approach, employers are “creating more exceptions, which looks floppy. It looks like favoritism.”

While favoritism in the office is not a new concept, its visibility has grown with the rise of RTO policies. Top performers, higher-ranked employees, and executives can loosely follow the three—or even five-day office expectations, which other workers can notice.

“When you’re setting a new policy, you need to emphasize that it will be enforced. But also companies don’t want to have to fire everybody who violates the policy, especially if it’s a minor violation,” he says. “Top performers or more senior employees often get more leeway because they have more leverage. That’s not just about return to office, but in general in the workplace.”

Naturally, this preference in who can show up can cause discord within the work environment. While companies want to prioritize their best and senior workers’ feelings toward achieving more, the “inconsistent” policy enforcement jeopardizes company culture.

“If there’s a perception that you’re willing to play favorites, that can be really damaging for your culture,” Zhao said. “It’s important to have a clear set of standards because otherwise, you just open yourself up to a whole can of worms.”

Although companies’ leniency to higher-classified employees also bleeds into the perks of having more senior roles, given the popularity of remote work, they must contend with how this impacts all employees and their dedication to their responsibilities.