The work-from-home (WFH) era may be over.
Companies like Apple, Dell, Starbucks, and more recently Amazon, are calling their employees back to the brick and mortar with their strict return-to-office (RTO) policies. In Seattle, home to Amazon and a large tech workforce, this could signal a larger shift with more local companies likely to follow.
For workers who enjoyed the perks of remote work, the change will be a massive shake-up for the household.
Walking the dog during lunch? Not anymore.
Managing household chores during the day? Gone.
Running a child to an appointment? Say goodbye to that flexibility.
Juggling work, home, and personal responsibilities will become harder, leaving many to wonder how they’ll manage it all.
If you’ve been affected by these recent mandates, you might be asking yourself:
- How do I get it all done?
- How do I adapt to this new normal?
- Do I need to quit my job?
Read on to find out why professionals are turning to personal assistants and how one can help you manage the RTO transition to survive and thrive in your new situation.
The Personal Cost of Losing Workplace Flexibility
For those accustomed to remote work, returning to the office doesn’t just change where they spend their workday—it fundamentally alters the rhythm of their lives. Common concerns that have rippled across social media platforms are how they’ll readjust to balancing family and household demands.
We firmly believe that increasing in-office minimums has a disproportionate and negative impact on working families — particularly for women and people of color with dependent care responsibilities.
-Karen Estevenin, executive director of PROTEC17, a union that represents more than 3,300 City of Seattle workers. Source
Remote work allowed workers to effortlessly manage their responsibilities alongside their career obligations. Now they’re left to navigate the loss of flexibility and the challenges that may come with it.
Here are some hidden costs that professionals will bear in light of the RTO mandates.
1. Losing the Ability to Manage Household Tasks During the Day
Remote work offered a significant boost to personal time, which many professionals made a part of their daily routines in meaningful ways.
For some, a daily commute takes up to four hours to and from the office. With the added flexibility of working from home or hybrid work, they gained precious hours redirected into managing household tasks.
Now with RTO mandates, they’re posed with the challenge of staying on top of essentials like paying bills, managing household finances, and restocking necessities. Not to mention, other tasks like accepting deliveries, scheduling maintenance, or overseeing other home services.
So what does this mean for employees? Simply put: It’s too much for professional couples to handle on their own, let alone a single person. The increased pressure to squeeze errands before or after work means being stretched thin, which could lead to overwhelm and burnout. And of course, errands will cut into precious time reserved for rest, family, or personal pursuits.
2. A Blow to Personal Wellness and Self-Care
With more control over their schedules, remote workers found it easy to prioritize mental health and self-care routines. The benefits, of course, were two-fold: allowing them to show up for themselves in their daily lives and their workplace.
But with the RTO mandates, strict work hours and five in-office work days now make it harder to build short breaks into their daily routines. It’s so much harder to maintain wellness routines like making a healthy lunch or meal prepping in advance.
3. Challenges In Childcare and Caretaking
It’s no surprise that balancing childcare was easier with remote work. It was a lifeline, allowing caretakers to coordinate carpools, attend extracurriculars, or even handle unexpected events like a child becoming sick—all while staying productive from home.
With RTO policies that limit flexibility, parents now face the daunting task of coordinating the needs of their children around their office hours, often requiring restructured family schedules. This added burden can quickly lead to other household tasks being neglected or going from streamlined to chaotic as parents struggle to keep everything in balance.
Is Quitting an Option?
Faced with these demands, some professionals may consider stepping away from their roles. The sudden loss of flexibility can feel like losing control over their time and life. While some may no doubt take that route, for many quitting is not an option. For example, high-income earners whose careers contribute significantly to their long-term financial goals, are instead exploring alternatives to buy back time and find balance in their daily lives.
Luckily, quitting isn’t the only option. Outsourcing household management and personal errands to a dedicated personal assistant has proven to be a valuable investment for many.
Rather than sacrificing their long-term career trajectory, high-earning professionals are choosing to streamline their lives by offloading time-consuming tasks to a reliable professional. They’ve weighed the cost of investing in support and realized that stepping back now could mean missing out on future earning potential. Many are willing to take a short-term loss to protect their long-term income and career growth.
How Personal Assistants Can Help With the Transition
If you’re feeling the impact of the RTO shift, questions around managing home and family responsibilities are likely front of mind: Who will take care of my pets? How will I stay on top of household errands? Can I really manage a demanding career without sacrificing family time? This transition may have left you with feelings of frustration. The good news is, there is help.
Personal assistants have provided a lifeline for many and can provide one for you, too. As the demands of office-based work grow, more high-income professionals are recognizing that the cost of a personal assistant is an investment, not an expense.
Personal assistants offer a range of support, from managing home logistics to handling daily administrative tasks. They’ll serve as a reliable extension of your support system, enabling you to keep pace with your career goals without sacrificing your home life.
Here’s how a personal assistant can make a difference in your life:
1. Coordinating with service providers and vendors: Perhaps you were better able to take a quick call to book a plumber or pause between meetings to accept a package. Now you find yourself with fewer options. These tasks may be left incomplete, or they require complex planning and coordination with family members or friends. A personal assistant can book appointments, arrange for a service provider, or accept packages.
2. Managing family logistics: From scheduling kids' activities, arranging transportation, and coordinating with babysitters, to taking care of grocery shopping and meal planning, a personal assistant can alleviate the strain of balancing family needs with professional commitments.
3. Supporting wellness and self-care: By taking on errands, meal prep, and other routine responsibilities, a personal assistant can free up time that you can then dedicate to personal wellness. Whether it’s scheduling gym sessions, organizing self-care appointments, or handling lunch arrangements, a personal assistant will allow you to prioritize your health, even within a more rigid, office-based schedule.
A personal assistant may be an investment, but it’s also a transformative one. Take it from Seattle resident Maygan Wurzer, a Seattle business owner who found herself drowning as she tried to balance work and life on her own. She praises Pepper’s Personal Assistants as “The best money I’ve ever spent,” noting that the peace of mind she got from it was priceless.
Pepper’s Personal Assistants Can Help You
At Pepper’s Personal Assistants, we specialize in placing top-tier professionals who understand the demands of high-stakes careers and complex schedules. Our assistants are trained to adapt, ensuring you receive reliable, hands-free support without the hassle of micro-managing.
Our approach is straightforward with no onboarding headaches—just ready-to-go assistance tailored to the specific needs of your life. With Pepper’s Personal Assistants, you can focus on what matters most and do more of what you love, knowing that your home and family needs are in expert hands. Are you ready to see how a personal assistant can transform your routine?
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