Decades ago, when I got one of my first leadership roles, my boss asked me to consider three questions about my team: Which three employees produce the most? Which three produce the least? And how do you plan on changing that?
If they asked that on a day like today, they probably would have added a fourth question: Does any of this depend on where they’re working from?
Those questions matter even more on a day like today, when a foot of snow and blizzard conditions should keep almost everyone at home.
If you’re the boss who has been mandating that employees come in five days a week — because that’s the only place work can be done — it becomes awkward to ask your staff to work remotely today.
Because on days like this, all the talk about culture, camaraderie and those magical “in‑office collisions” — the 15‑minute break‑room debates about Jack Hughes’ golden goal or whose commute was worse — suddenly evaporates.
If it’s fine for your staff to work from home today, then it was never really about collaboration. It was about trust. And that’s a bigger problem.
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A new Robert Half survey makes it clear: Job seekers overwhelmingly prefer hybrid schedules. Allowing even one or two remote days meaningfully improves hiring and retention.
The survey of more than 500 U.S. HR managers, released in January, found that 88% of employers now offer hybrid work, though availability varies by role and seniority.
It also showed that hybrid isn’t a perk, it’s the preference. Fifty‑five percent of employees say hybrid is their ideal setup, split almost evenly between wanting 1–2 in‑office days or 3–4.
That means companies insisting on a five‑day return aren’t just fighting the market. They’re fighting their own employees’ expectations.
But that’s not even their biggest challenge.
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You can require attendance. You cannot mandate engagement.
National data shows that only about three in ten U.S. employees are actively engaged at work, the lowest level in a decade.
New Jersey workers do slightly better, scoring one to two points higher than average, but the majority still aren’t emotionally invested.
What actually drives engagement? Wellbeing. Flexibility. Feeling cared about. Opportunities to grow. These consistently influence productivity more than salary.
Remember that today, when the only thing that will drive productivity is how engaged your employees are.
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Here’s one final question before you attempt to dig out: If one person on your team announced they were leaving today, whose departure would worry you the most?
Hint: It’s rarely the highest‑paid worker.
Make sure that person feels valued today — and then work your way down the list.
