26 May 2026
Thinking about reversing remote working for your employees?
It is a question many business owners are weighing up right now. However, rushing this process or skipping over important steps could end up costing your business a lot of money in the long run. Before making any big announcements, you need to understand the risks and how to manage the change properly. Our team of HR Consultants in Edinburgh and HR Consultants in Glasgow work with businesses across the country to manage these shifts fairly and safely.
The risks of ending remote work for businesses in Scotland
Before you tell your team to come back, you should think about three main areas where things could go wrong.
You could lose your best people
If you bring people back to the office on a whim, you might lose staff members who are very hard to replace. Good employees who have done well at home will not all accept a sudden change quietly. While some may leave straight away, others will start looking for new roles elsewhere. In a small team, losing even one or two key people is expensive and causes a lot of trouble. If you’ve got homeworking or hybrid working at the moment, ACAS has useful guidance on how to manage this.
Output and productivity may drop
While the office is often better for team culture, some roles work very well from home. Consequently, reversing remote working for everyone without looking at individual roles may not actually improve results in the way you expect. Recent research from the CIPD shows that 41% of employers believe that an increase in home/hybrid working has led to increased productivity/efficiency in their organisation, so ask yourself if it is the right choice for your organisation.
Legal and formal challenges
Employees with caring duties or health issues may argue that removing remote working puts them at a disadvantage. This can lead to discrimination claims. Furthermore, since April 2024, staff can ask for flexible working from their first day of work. If someone makes a request, you must follow a legal process. You cannot simply deny a request because you want everyone back in the building.
What to check before making changes
You should review your setup before taking action to ensure you are on solid ground.
Practical steps: How to handle flexible working requests and returns
If you decide that the business case for returning to the office is strong enough, there are practical steps you can take to reduce your risk.
Be clear about your reasons
Avoid saying “we just want people back.” Instead, talk about the business reason clearly, such as better training for staff or helping teams work together on projects.
Talk to your team
Hold a consultation before you make a final choice, so people feel heard. Because skipping this step is one of the quickest ways to cause a grievance, as well as impacting productivity and engagement it is vital to listen to your staff first.
Use a trial period
You could try a phased approach, such as two or three days a week in the office. This gives staff time to adjust and shows a tribunal that you acted reasonably.
Keep records
Write down why you are making the change and what people said during meetings. This paperwork will help protect your business if someone challenges the change later.
How Albany HR can help
Changing how your team works is a big step. An HR consultant can look at your contracts and help you build a plan that reduces your legal risk. We can also help your managers deal with flexible working requests correctly so that every decision is fair and follows the law.
If you are thinking about changing your remote setup, please talk to us first. A short conversation now could prevent resignations or claims later.
Contact Albany HR today to discuss your plans in confidence.
