Trust vs. Control: Comparing Flexible and Restrictive Hybrid Work Policies in Two Software Companies

The pandemic experiences of forced work from home (WFH) in the tech industry turned out better than expected. As a result, modern workplaces that employ software engineers have become increasingly hybrid allowing employees to alternate days spent in the office with days spent working remotely. Yet, approaches to regulate the hybrid work arrangements vary. Some companies implemented strict policies with controlled office presence while others rely on recommendations and permit greater locational flexibility. In this paper, we evaluate how different degrees of locational flexibility influence individual work arrangements and satisfaction in two comparative cases: a company with high degree of flexibility (FinCo) and a company with mandatory office presence (TelCo). Through a survey of 547 practitioners, our findings reveal that flexible policies can achieve higher voluntary office attendance than mandatory requirements. To our surprise, we found that the number of employees visiting the office at least 2-3 days per week in the company with greater flexibility was higher (68%) compared to the company with mandatory attendance (58%). The study also identifies key factors influencing work location choices, including commute time and role. The type of tasks and dependencies with colleagues also matter - employees with more WFH days tended to have more individual tasks, while those with more onsite work days engaged in more collaborative tasks and had colleagues who depended on them. Our results suggest that trust-based approaches and creating attractive office environments may be more effective than strict attendance policies in maintaining desired office presence while supporting employee satisfaction. These findings contribute practical insights for organizations seeking to establish effective post-pandemic work policies for software engineers.