As more employers advocate for a return to the office, concerns regarding mental health, flexibility, and workplace rights are emerging.

Unions are demanding enhanced protections, researchers are cautioning about the psychological impact, and HR professionals find themselves in a challenging position—striving to reconcile employee wellbeing with business requirements.

So, the question arises. Are managers and executives controlling the narrative around employees’ returning to the office?

Image: Image: Shutterstock – Prostock-studio

Produced By: Thomas Koutis

Featured In Story: Libby Sander – MBA Director & Associate Professor of Organisational Behaviour, Bond Business School, Bond University, Scott Cowen – Assistant National Secretary at Australian Services Union , and Sarah McCann Bartlett – CEO of Australian HR Insitute

First aired on The Wire, Thursday 28 August 2025