Capital One employees return to offices through new hybrid model

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - There is a renewed push across the nation and the Commonwealth to ditch the work-from-home sweatpants and head back to work in person.

On Tuesday, Capital One fully reopened its offices for the first time since the pandemic. This shift, seen at companies beyond just Capital One, has sparked a huge conversation about the future of work-life balance.

Capital One opted to move forward with a hybrid model. Mondays and Fridays will be virtual work days, while folks are encouraged to work in-person Tuesday through Thursday.

While many employees don’t want to give up the flexibility of remote work, others think it is a step in the right direction to go back in person.

“It’s a big transition, and the thing to remember is that we’re different people now; it’s not as if we’re going back and we’re the same people we were two years ago,” VCU Health Clinical Social Worker Karen Landrum said. “We’re different. We’ve changed, society’s changed, even the work environment has changed.”

Remote work revolutionized the corporate experience throughout the pandemic, bringing a sense of flexibility and freedom.

“It’s going to be a slap in the face for a lot of people going back to the office because they’re just not used to being responsible,” Billy Ray Mitchell said.

Chesdin Harrington started at Capital One fresh out of college in the middle of the pandemic, so remote work is all he’s ever known.

“Positives of the remote work is certainly the flexibility to be able to travel and really work from anywhere, as long as you have Wifi you can log on and work,” Harrington said.

He says he’s happy to be in an office three days a week.

“I’m certainly someone who thrives off personal interaction and connecting with people in person,” he said.

According to Microsoft’s 2022 “New Future of Work” Report, researchers discovered that while remote work can improve job satisfaction, it can also lead employees to feel socially isolated and guilty.

Landrum says sometimes folks don’t realize how much they miss the buzz of a busy office, providing much-needed social interaction.

“A lot of people had trouble with work-life boundaries. If you’re working from home, where does the work end and the personal time begin?” she said.

Mitchell argues the transition could be hard for families.

“You also have to think about the people who are responsible for getting their kids to school, making sure that their house is taken care of, and restructuring their daily lives. That, I think, is the biggest adjustment,” Mitchell said.

Landrum also says a disruption in routine can make for a tough transition for anyone, so if you’re heading back to the office after all this time, go easy on yourself.

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