What RTO personality type are you?
Every office has its RTO personalities: the coffee badgers, the midweek warriors, and the 5-day faithfuls.
The return-to-office (RTO) landscape has evolved, with employees developing unique routines shaped by company policies and personal preferences. Some have embraced a five-day schedule, while others prefer a more selective approach. Here are six distinct RTO personas:
1. The 5-day faithful: Shaohua Zhou, an engineering manager in San Francisco, opted for full-time in-office work after joining an agentic software development startup. He values the office environment for its space, amenities, and the social interactions it offers. For Zhou, being consistently present in the office sets a strong example and prevents confusion among colleagues.
2. The early bird: Gricelda Ramos, a business school student in Miami, chose a 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. work schedule to minimize her commute time. By selecting an earlier start time, she reduced her morning commute from 45 minutes to 15 or 20 minutes, significantly improving her quality of life.
3. The midweek warrior: PR staffer Ian Antonoff and his team at a New York City coworking space follow a Tuesday and Thursday in-office schedule. Antonoff believes that collaborating in person is invaluable for his work, and he enjoys the spontaneous conversations that occur outside of formal meetings. He opts for remote work on Mondays and Fridays to maintain a work-life balance.
4. The office tourist: Accountant Stephen Napolitano adheres to a predictable schedule of attending the office between two and eight days a month. His company's RTO mandate only requires him to come in every other Wednesday, making it easy for him to plan his week without worrying about unpredictable attendance requirements. He uses his in-office days for meetings, catching up with colleagues, and tasks that benefit from face-to-face interaction.
5. The office recluse: Software developer Paul Crockett, based in North Carolina, initially came into the office two days a week but has now increased it to three days, as requested by his firm. Despite working primarily remotely, Crockett finds that having dedicated in-office days allows him to maintain a structured routine. He spends most of his time working alone in a private room, as his team members are mostly remote.
Crockett values the predictability of his schedule and prefers to keep his in-office days to a minimum.
These diverse RTO routines showcase the flexibility of modern workplaces, where employees can adapt their schedules to balance work demands, commute times, and personal preferences.
Written by urgent.news from Business Insider's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
