Perceptions and Challenges faced by Irish Tech sector employees around strict return to the office policies

Gordova, Anna (2024) Perceptions and Challenges faced by Irish Tech sector employees around strict return to the office policies. Masters thesis, Dublin, National College of Ireland.

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Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way we work, especially in the technological sector, where employees had to adapt to remote work. As the pandemic came to an end, many companies are reassessing the return to the office policies. This sparks debates around the effectiveness of these policies and the effects they have on overall employee satisfaction, productivity and well-being. This study investigates the perceptions of Irish tech sector employees when it comes to challenges around strict return to the office policies. Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory of Motivation is used to analyse the factors that influence employee job satisfaction and turnover.

Ten professionals from the Irish tech sector, who have been recently asked to return to the office, participated in the semi-structured interviews to provide their perception and identify key issues contributing to dissatisfaction. The interview candidate pointed out problems such as rigid company policies, strict enforcement of office attendance by managers, and the physical and mental strain of long commutes. A common feeling among them was that inflexible office policies led to a sense of mistrust and feeling undervalued. While there were positive factors such as increased company culture and pleasant office settings, these were often overshadowed by the negative aspects.

The findings highlight that many participants felt that their work-life balance is being compromised, prompting them to consider seeking more flexible job options. This emphasises the need for tech companies to adopt more flexible, employee-centric practices to enhance satisfaction and retain talent in a competitive market.

To tackle these issues, the study recommends that companies should promote more flexible work arrangements, address commuting challenges, consistently acknowledge employee efforts, and ensure fair access to career development opportunities. Future research should focus on larger and more diverse groups, employing mixed methods to gain deeper insights into the long-term effects of mandatory office attendance across various cultural contexts.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Supervisors:	Name Email -, - UNSPECIFIED
Subjects:	T Technology > T Technology (General) R Medicine > Diseases > Outbreaks of disease > Epidemics > COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020- D History General and Old World > DA Great Britain > Ireland H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > Issues of Labour and Work
Divisions:	School of Business > Master of Business Administration
Depositing User:	Ciara O'Brien
Date Deposited:	17 Jun 2025 16:52
Last Modified:	17 Jun 2025 16:52
URI:	https://norma.ncirl.ie/id/eprint/7884

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