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New Delhi: Employees aren't exactly cheering for the return-to-office mandate, with over 13,000 signatures on a petition demanding WPP reverse its four-day office requirement. While WPP argues that more office time means better engagement, improved performance, and happier clients, several employees are resenting the move.
And WPP isn’t alone—agencies like Publicis and Omnicom have enforced their own in-office policies, requiring at least three days a week on-site. It's a growing trend across the industry, with disgruntled employees everywhere.
So, is this office comeback about boosting productivity or just companies yearning for the good old pre-pandemic office days? Let’s dive into what the industry is thinking.
Critics warn that mandatory office returns could spark a mass exodus, especially among those who’ve embraced the freedom of remote work. The perks? No commute, flexible hours, and working from anywhere. Meanwhile, supporters of in-person work argue it’s the secret sauce for creativity, collaboration, and those game-changing “a-ha” moments that make teams truly click—something offices like WPP swear by.
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Mithila Saraf, CEO of Famous Innovations, believes that despite challenges like talent drain, stagnant fees, and rising costs, networks like WPP have leaned on work-from-home policies as a way to appear progressive and employee-friendly rather than addressing the deeper need for collaboration in the workplace.
Saraf added, "Arthur Sadoun of Publicis specifically noted that working from home stunts creativity and emphasised the importance of in-office collaboration. Leaders widely agree that if networks like Publicis had taken this stance earlier, they might have avoided resorting to layoffs today."
While network agencies have been pushing for more employee presence in the office, even independent and smaller setups are advocating for employees to return to the office.
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“Can a chef work from home?” questioned Dhruv Sachdeva, founder of Humour Me, who compared a creative agency to a Michelin Star restaurant.
“Imagine a bustling kitchen in a Michelin-starred restaurant. Pots are bubbling, knives are chopping, and the air is filled with a symphony of aromas. The head chef is at the helm, orchestrating the chaos into a beautifully plated masterpiece. Now, imagine if that head chef was trying to lead the team remotely, via Zoom. It simply can’t work.
This is the stark reality of remote work for managers and creative teams. While independent contributors (ICs) can often thrive in a remote setting, doing their work from a cottage, managers and teams that rely on real-time collaboration and decision-making will struggle.
In my experience, we witnessed a substantial decline in productivity and capacity utilisation when working remotely. Since we trade in skills and our business relies heavily on people's expertise, remote work just doesn't cut it. Productivity takes a significant hit, and creative individuals often experience fatigue when working alone without colleagues to bounce ideas off. It's a lonely and less productive environment, which can stifle innovation and collaboration,” Sachdeva resolved.
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Emmanuel Upputuru, founder of EFGH, asserted that “COVID is over, and it is time for office 'wapsi.'.”
Expanding his thoughts, he said, “Work from office can never hamper creativity. Creativity thrives on spontaneous conversations. WPP is a very large organisation, and it is not practical or ideal for some of its workforce to work from home.
Saraf emphasised that a work-from-office setup enhances creativity and productivity. "Studies, including McKinsey’s report showing that 54% of employees crave a sense of community, and Microsoft’s findings that 84% of its full-time employees are motivated to go to the office to socialize, emphasise this," she added.
That said, it won’t be easy for WPP to get employees back in the office four days a week, especially with thousands signing a petition against the mandate. Upputuru noted, “Employees, having tasted freedom and proven that work can be done remotely, are holding the cards now. As Martin Sorrell would say, ‘The toothpaste is out of the tube;’ the balance of power has shifted.”
Sharing an interesting take focusing on a collaborative effort, Sachdeva highlighted how working from home can lead to fatigue when the creative folks don’t have people to bounce their ideas off.
Elaborating on his take, Sachdeva said, “In a writer's room, for example, teams brainstorm, share ideas, and build on each other's thoughts. This collaborative process is essential because one person's anecdote or idea can spark something greater when developed collectively.
On Zoom calls, however, many participants often end up being silent after a while. Those who are typically silent contributors in a physical room may find it even harder to engage remotely. When working from home, people frequently turn off their cameras, and you can't force everyone to keep them on all the time. Unless you have a very strong off-camera culture and trust that everyone is actively participating, it's challenging to ensure engagement.
In a one-hour brainstorming session, if you check in with people later, many won't be able to articulate what was discussed because they've likely switched off and are attending to other tasks. The meeting can easily become a side activity rather than the main focus.”
A WPP employee who spoke to BestMediaInfo on terms of anonymity mentioned that he feels comfortable working from home as the office space is not always the ‘quietest space’ and leads to distractions not allowing him to achieve his full creative potential. To add, the employee has the added comfort in mind that he can take care of if an anomaly springs up at home.
So, what can organisations do for employees to help them achieve their full potential?
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Sumeer Mathur, Chief Strategy Officer at Dentsu Creative, suggested that better-designed office spaces would attract employees to return to the office.
Shedding light on the subject, Mathur said, “An ideal office design is a mix of a library and a coffee place—a place to hang out and build relationships and a place for quiet, deep work. Many pre-pandemic offices were designed more as seating plans to accommodate workers, and many employees felt they could focus better at home, save travel time, and structure their days more effectively.
Great creative offices are charged spaces where bright minds collide, collaborate, and create. We need those office environments back. Recreating and ensuring these environments will bring employees back and enhance productivity simultaneously.”
While offices are spaces designed for work, they also act as spaces where employees talk and learn from each other. Mathur calls this “fostering collaboration.”
He believes that working remotely makes all interactions more regimented, time-bound, and sporadic. When you work in the same space, there is a greater sense of togetherness and community. This is important for all teams and very important for new members of a team.
Advising young people to work from the office, he said, “For young people, an office space is also a place for building social networks. Working from the office is an experience that brings out the culture of the company and allows you to understand how work gets created, and working side by side helps you learn faster.”
Sachdeva too has some advice for creative agencies.
He said, “Honestly, I believe that younger creative professionals today need a degree of freedom and flexibility to perform at their best. This doesn't necessarily mean adopting a permanent work-from-home culture, but rather finding a balance that promotes productivity. While working from home might not always be the most productive setting, allowing teams to work from different environments, like a café or even while travelling, can stimulate creativity.
Incorporating "travel days" or "working vacations" can be highly beneficial. These are times when team members can explore new places, opening their minds to fresh ideas and creative expression. The goal is to avoid feeling stuck in one location, as travel often sparks the best ideas. By integrating remote work with these creative excursions, teams can enhance their output and find new inspiration, ultimately leading to better work.”
The problem is complicated, and no one size can fit all, so what is the middle ground?
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“While the world is divided between those who believe work from the office should be optional and those who want to see their colleague’s faces for 5 days in a row, a hybrid system is where the middle ground is,” for Abhik Santara, Director and CEO of Atom Network.
Summing up the entire battle between employees and employers, Santara said, “As an industry, we thrive on interactions. A random fact shared in a breakroom has the power to ignite an insight that leads to great ideas or someone picking a nugget from a germ of an idea to build something remarkable. All that is possible when people discuss challenges and ideas.
But at the same time, much creative and strategic craft depends on finding a sacred space that is void of a boss cracking a joke that you’re forced to laugh at, the office boy asking you if you need your morning coffee black or with milk, or your desk partner sharing a story about his irritating roommate.
It is important to divide your tasks and allocate your jamming sessions to in-office workdays and peaceful, exceptional creative work to work-from-home days.”
The WPP employee who spoke to BestMediaInfo.com seconded Santara’s thoughts and highlighted the importance of a hybrid work structure when working on projects that require more individual effort than collaborative
“The rules should be flexible rather than rigid and should be enforced considering what’s better for every employee,” he added.
Summing up the entire battle between employees and employers, Santara said, “As an industry, we thrive on interactions. A random fact shared in a breakroom has the power to ignite an insight that leads to great ideas or someone picking a nugget from a germ of an idea to build something remarkable. All that is possible when people discuss challenges and ideas.”