After years of remote work, companies across the U.S. are grappling with how — and how often — to get employees back into the office.
Andrew Raines, founder of a law firm with over 120 attorneys across seven U.S. offices, approaches return-to-office policies with a focus on culture and client service.
"We really go back to our core philosophy of how we hold together as a firm," Raines told Benzinga. He explained that the firm's culture emphasizes self-actualization, encouraging lawyers to be the best they can to serve clients effectively.
Don't Miss:
- Accredited Investors Can Now Tap Into the $36 Trillion Home Equity Market — Without Buying a Single Property
- If there was a new fund backed by Jeff Bezos offering a 7-9% target yield with monthly dividends would you invest in it?
For Raines, in-person interaction is key. "We don’t want to lose that interaction because it reinforces our culture and it trains people, but it also allows us to have the best service providers we can be," he said. "The isolation just does not serve that."
No One-Size-Fits-All Approach
When it comes to RTO policies, the firm doesn't enforce a strict mode across the board. Attendance expectations vary by location, depending on commuting realities.
"LA is a little bit more difficult simply because of the commuting time," Raines said. Offices in Pittsburgh, Delaware, and Newport Beach, California, see higher in-office participation due to shorter commutes, he added.
The firm encourages attendance two to four days a week and schedules some meetings exclusively in-person. "If you're not here, you cannot participate in the meeting," Raines said. This approach helps ensure engagement and avoids the pitfalls of "Zoom fatigue" or split attention during hybrid meetings.
Trending: Amazon and NVIDIA Partnered With This Robot Chef — Now Individual Investors Can Too
People-first Approach
Raines emphasizes putting employees' needs at the center of any RTO. "Policies are very difficult to enforce uniformly without realizing people are individuals and just having some accommodation for that," he told Benzinga.
He said that many firms make the mistake of enforcing rigid, top-down mandates, which can create pushback and resentment among employees. By contrast, his firm takes a people-first approach, observing employee needs, giving advance notice, and integrating feedback before finalizing policies.
This method, Raines said, helps maintain both a strong office culture and high client service standards while avoiding the friction that can come from strict enforcement.
The firm typically gives 90 days' notice before implementing RTO changes, allowing staff time to adjust their schedules around childcare, schools, or other personal responsibilities. By listening first and building flexibility into the process, Raines said the firm fosters a more cooperative and motivated workforce.
See Also: Microsoft's Climate Innovation Fund Just Backed This Farmland Manager — Accredited Investors Can Join the Same Fund
Maintaining Connection Across Offices
With offices across different time zones, Raines highlighted creative ways the firm maintains culture. Orange pens and friendship bracelets serve as small but meaningful reminders of the firm's identity, giving them a sense of "school spirit" to stay connected.
Partner retreats and consensus-building sessions reinforce teamwork and give employees a voice in major decisions, from new policies to website redesigns.
Looking Ahead
Raines predicts that office-first work models will likely become more common across the industry, but he expects they will be implemented with greater flexibility than many companies currently practice.
"I think there will probably be new policies that acknowledge the importance of coming together and treating that in a way with more flexibility," he told Benzinga.
For leaders crafting RTO strategies, Raines offers some simple advice: observe, listen, and integrate employee feedback.
"Don’t be afraid of your people," he said. "Talk to your people, hear them out, find out what their needs are, and then try to make policies around them while balancing out the needs of the firm and of its clients. It’s just a couple of extra steps, but the result I think is so much better."
Read Next: $100k+ in investable assets? Match with a fiduciary advisor for free to learn how you can maximize your retirement and save on taxes – no cost, no obligation.
Image: Imagn Images
