The Paradox of Reintegration: Prolonged Liminality, Remote Work, and the Future of the Office
Recently, Amazon announced its plan to have all corporate employees return to the office full-time by January, and a recent KPMG survey found that 80% of CEOs expect hybrid employees to be back in the office full-time by 2027. These announcements signal a growing momentum towards reestablishing the pre-pandemic work structure, but are we really ready to go back?
In my previous articles, I explored the idea of liminality — a transitional phase where old structures dissolve, leaving us in a state of in-betweenness. During the pandemic, we entered into a state of prolonged liminality, where the familiar structures of office work broke down, but new ones had yet to form. Remote work became the norm, but the shift wasn’t just logistical — it was transformational.
For months, many of us operated in a world without clear work-life boundaries, where we redefined productivity and connection through virtual tools like Zoom and Teams. As a result, work-life balance, autonomy, and flexibility took on new importance. This phase of anti-structure — as anthropologist Victor Turner would describe it — allowed us to experiment with new ways of working, but the real question now is: what comes next?
Prolonged Liminality and Anti-Structure Becoming the New Norm
Liminality is not meant to last forever. It’s a temporary phase, it is anti-structure, where individuals or societies move through transitions, ultimately they are expected to in the process of reintegration into the structure. So the stages of ritual “assumes” a stable structure that is waiting for the new comers out of the liminality — as transformed individuals — to reintegrate in. To put it simply, think about soccer or football games: fans enter a different state of mind and emotions, adopting a new identity as they transform during the game. While the exhilaration lingers afterward, at some point it fades, and individuals return to their ‘normal’ identities and “normal” schedules. Or think about vacations. There are numerous examples.
However, what we experienced during the pandemic wasn’t just a brief liminal moment. The pandemic dragged on for years, and that prolonged liminality fundamentally altered our relationship with work.
This prolonged anti-structure has, in many ways, become the new structure for how we work. Remote work was once seen as a temporary disruption, that we had to adapt, but for many, it has solidified into a preferred model. In this sense, the anti-structure of remote work has slowly become the new structure.
But now, with CEOs pushing for a return to offices, we are facing the paradox of reintegration: how do we return to the office after this prolonged period of transformation? And should we? Is that ‘structure’ still widely available to us? Which structure is more loved by employees? We should stop focusing solely on whether we work in the office or not. Instead, we must consider work-life balance, our relationships, and our established habits. Ultimately, we need to approach this issue from a holistic and human-centered perspective.
The Paradox of Reintegration
Reintegration traditionally means returning to social norms and structure after a period of change. In the workplace, this would mean a return to the office and the 9–5 structure. However, many employees have evolved during this time of liminality. Many of us have embraced autonomy, refined time-management capabilities, established self-discipline habits, found new rhythms of productivity, and appreciated the work-life balance that remote work provides.
Corporate leaders often cite productivity as a reason to return to the office, but during the pandemic, many businesses saw productivity remain steady or even increase while employees worked from home. So, what’s really behind this push? Could it be the financial burden of maintaining expensive office spaces, or the need to justify real estate investments? Perhaps it’s time for leaders to be more transparent about the reasons driving this push, rather than relying on productivity narratives.
Hybrid Work as the New Structure
Instead of trying to force a return to the old structures, it’s time for organizations to recognize that hybrid models may offer the best solution moving forward. Hybrid work provides the best of both worlds — the flexibility of remote work and the collaborative energy of in-person interactions. This new structure acknowledges the reality that work has changed during the pandemic and adapts to the diverse needs of transformed employees.
But reintegration doesn’t just apply to current employees — it’s also about the future workforce. Which brings us to the younger side of Gen Z.
Younger Gen Z and the Future of Work
This younger generation, currently studying and on the cusp of entering the workforce, is in a unique position. They’ve experienced both remote work and the traditional 9–5 structure through their parents, many of whom are Gen X. Research suggests that Gen Z has inherited some of the pragmatism of Gen X, which means they may approach work with a practical mindset — understanding the value of getting paid and doing what’s necessary. Yet, they’ve also lived through the isolation of remote schooling during the pandemic, where the absence of social interaction was keenly felt.
So, the question remains: What will younger Gen Z want? Will they be content to stay in this prolonged liminal phase, embracing the flexibility of remote work and its rewards? Or, after experiencing both sides of the coin, will they seek reintegration into the more structured world of 9–5 office life? I seriously doubt, but maybe pragmatism may weigh more than flexibility?!?
Closing Thoughts
As we consider the future of work, Gen Z offers a fascinating case study. They’ve witnessed the world of work transition, and they are poised to shape its next phase. The choices they make — whether to embrace flexibility or return to structure — will play a pivotal role in how workplace culture evolves in the coming years. We know that flexibility and mental well-being are more than just buzzwords; Gen Z embodies these values as naturally as they do technology and innovation.
As corporate leaders push for a return to the office, it’s important to recognize that this prolonged liminal phase has changed us all. The work structures we build now must reflect the transformations that have taken place, rather than trying to revert to a pre-pandemic past.
