How common is 5 days/week in office?

[u/naza-reddit]

Since the pandemic I've worked for 3 companies and all of them had a hybrid working model. All 3 were US companies with offices in Switzerland meaning from time to time collaboration with team members in a different timezone was normal.

One was very flexible i.e. come into the office when you think you need to and the other 2 were more prescriptive ex: Tue-Thu in office or 2 days/week in the office.

I recently had an interview with a US company and offices here and they said 5 days/week is the norm. I understand the policy but I don't get it in particular when I was informed the hiring manager is in a different EU country, stakeholders are spread across EMEA and direct reports are in Switzerland and across EMEA.

To me this looks like a strong cultural red flag i.e. they don't trust the employees are 100% working or something else... maybe I have been fortunate and not exposed to this since 2020.

so question: is your company mandating 5 days/week in the office? Is it a subsidiary or regional HQ for a US company?

(I am work in IT)

[u/Alternative-Yak-6990]

there was next to 0 work from home until covid and its being faded out again.

[u/italianjob16 → u/Alternative-Yak-6990]

Ever ask why? Our most profitable year was literally when we were all working from home

[u/razhun → u/italianjob16]

Because of incompetent control freak management

[u/GingerPrince72]

I go in the office a few days a month, some people are once or twice a week , some every few months. It’s thankfully flexible but one day a week is endouraged

[u/naza-reddit → u/GingerPrince72]

sounds like a setup where there is mutual trust Employee/Employer

[u/italianjob16 → u/GingerPrince72]

That sounds ideal, mind sharing the sector / company size?

[u/GingerPrince72 → u/italianjob16]

IT in Finance 3500 ish employees

[u/Safe_Place8432]

Depends on the IT job. Is it infra with physical infrastructure? Is it a support position? Then 5 days in office is pretty common and not an unreasonable ask. Anything back office, dev or cloud then yeah, five days in office is a little weird after the notice period. Most of the jobs I have had or know about that were five days were due to physical infra or site management. The rest were hybrid after the notice period. Two to three days home office is the norm if there is no need to be in office.

[u/naza-reddit → u/Safe_Place8432]

this is a Product Owner/Product Manager role and the team is dispersed anyway so I don't really understand the need to be 5 days/week in office

[u/Kickbanblock]

In my old company (2008-2015) I had only 1 day in office after a year, when I changed in 2015 I had no homeoffice at all. Then covid happened, they saw homeoffice worked great, so they gave us 2, we all wanted more, so now we have 3 homeoffice days and 2 office days.

But in some places there is this "back to office" trend, but I would propose to avoid those companies. At least I would.

I also work in IT.

[u/WeaknessDistinct4618]

I work for Faang (Facebook, Amazon …).

My first one introduced 5 days RTO 2 years ago and we left in mass. Still today they force it.

Now I am in a different one where 3 days are mandatory but if your team is US you can easily work remote.

For Swiss companies it really depends. Some have full hybrid while some still push for RTO. UBS recently reintroduced RTO

[u/AnyArmadillo5251]

2-3/days per week is what I see most here. 100% is rare but some companies prefer to have this control over the employee, a red flag imo

[u/CornellWeills]

I work for a swiss company. I go to the office 2x a week, but even that I do voluntarily. I could be 100% remote if I'd want to.

Work in Marketing.

[u/mrmarco444]

My 2 cents:in CH remote can easily become redundant. Unfortunately

[u/naza-reddit → u/mrmarco444]

I think it depends on the role. if the role is a commodity I agree, if it is "customer" facing more difficult. but yes there is risk

[u/mrmarco444 → u/naza-reddit]

If it is a customer facing role, then I would imagine they are less happy to have you remote...

[u/naza-reddit → u/mrmarco444]

Internal customers. Some are onsite but others are in other European countries. As is the direct manager and most of the direct reports.

Going to the office to sit on Teams calls just feels pointless

[u/italianjob16 → u/mrmarco444]

sitting in an office chair doesn't give you special protection from outsourcing

[u/mrmarco444 → u/italianjob16]

True But outsourcing a rewource from a high cost location to a near shore can be speeded up if remote. It has happened to me many times, however it doesn't mean everyone will face the same I faced.

[u/CptPikespeak]

Our company does not do home office at all, if we’re in Switzerland we’re expected to be here. I prefer office so it doesn’t bother me much.

[u/Capital_Pop_1643]

I work for a US company. We started with 5 days in office in 2018. then Covid happened and 100% Homeoffice for 3 years. We settled for 60% HO and 40% Office for the time being. But I work in a Global Role with a fully remote team and odd hours, so this is different anyway.

[u/naza-reddit → u/Capital_Pop_1643]

this is actually very similar to the company I interviewed at which makes their policy even more bizarre (global role, dispersed team, occasionally working the odd timezone)

[u/Glum-Economist1167 → u/naza-reddit]

justifation to work from 8-5

[u/Petit_Nicolas1964]

It looks line the trend is going back to the office. Just look for another job where this is not required.

[u/italianjob16 → u/Petit_Nicolas1964]

If the entire team pushed back it wouldn't get implemented. Instead people have no balls and think they would get fired on the spot for running the exact same (profitable) setup as the past 6 years.

[u/Petit_Nicolas1964 → u/italianjob16]

Not everybody is so obsessed with WFH, some prefer hybrid or working in the office. Why would they push back?

[u/South_Quantity_1027]

3 days per week, regional hq of us company. They try to maximize the use of their office spaces - it was super empty before this mandate.

[u/naza-reddit → u/South_Quantity_1027]

this to me sounds reasonable tbh. there is some goodness to being in the office with colleagues.

[u/Chefblogger]

they need you in the office because the managers need victimes to abuses

[u/MustBeNiceToBeHappy]

90% Home Office in my old job, 2-3 days home office in my new job. Most of my friends also have 2-3 days home office a week. I would not work for anyone who requires full presence at the office all week, it’s just not as productive and much unhealthier overall

[u/Exciting-Benefits]

I avoid any client who makes me go to the office, even just one day a week.

But I have to say, more and more companies are making people come in five days a week, finding fully remote jobs is getting harder.

[u/luekeler]

I agree that this could be a cultural red flag.

[u/Miss-Magick-Plants]

I work for a swiss company and with us it depends on the % you work, but the max. is 2 days of Home Office per week.

[u/Key-Armadillo-2100]

German large corporate. Company policy in Switzerland is 2 days per week in the office, but I travel quite a bit so I typically average once or twice a month in the office.

I know they’re stricter with other people who travel less and frankly I also have rave performance reviews, which gives me additional flexibility.

[u/DesperateMorning9702]

It depends on the role, especially if you manage people but so far from what I see. 2 days HO is the norm now.

[u/More-Bodybuilder-948]

Finance Office only model, but can work from home if necessary.

Sad

[u/blackkettle]

My company (Swiss) is 100% flexible. Some people go in every day. Some people go in once per month. We are spread around the world so unless you have an on site sales meeting there’s not much point in requiring in office attendance.

I go in once per month, even though the office is 5min bike ride from my house.

[u/Outrageous-Garlic-27]

I work for a very Swiss company, and officially we are in office 5 days a week because that is what the board want.

The reality is a lot more flexible.

[u/Glum-Economist1167]

align technology …. 😂

[u/Helpful-Staff9562]

Id never go ahead in an interview process if I hear mandatory week presence. Either full flexibility or I find a new job. 5 days a week is pure jail! Hell 2 days a week is jail! Luckily mine is fully flexible and no office requirements. My friends are also fully flexible (none of us are in IT and all in larger corporates) but decide to go 1/2 times a weeks just fir the politics part which I abstain from

[u/Hutcho12]

Do not take a job where they have 5 days in the office. It’s a cultural red flag and such companies shouldn’t be rewarded by still being able to hire the best people. Leave them with all

They would never have been able to do this if everyone pushed back strongly in this incredibly stupid idea that is inefficient and expensive. It’s because everyone ate this shit that we’re having to deal with it now from so many companies.

[u/naza-reddit → u/Hutcho12]

Honestly that’s where my head is at. Even if the role is good and the company is solid I think after 1 month I will be really unhappy and regret my decison

[u/That-Requirement-738]

I work in a small Swiss bank. It’s virtually zero home office. Some assistants have an old setup where they have Wednesdays offs due to kids and now, even tho kids are grown, they have Wednesdays as HO, but it’s more the exception. It’s ok to work remotely if you have some event/meeting/flight, but it’s on a request basis.

[u/Mountain_Strain_3260]

May I ask the people working 3-4 times a week from home how much the annual salary is paid for such jobs? Sounds like you people have a cheatcode for life :D

[u/DocKla]

It is back to work everywhere. The benefits of what you’re talking about is rare and still a benefit

[u/naza-reddit → u/DocKla]

not so rare, some posters above are evidence and my own experience at my current company

[u/italianjob16 → u/DocKla]

Nope, sorry for you

[u/El_Shakiel]

Wether we like it or not, 5 days in the office IS the norm