Why so anxious? Return-to-office uncertainties are stressing us all out, but experts say there’s a simple fix

American workers are anxious, and navigating the ongoing uncertainty around management’s return-to-office expectations is only making things worse. As more Americans establish a hybrid work routine, many are struggling to understand employer expectations in this new working world order. What relics from our past work lives remain? And what is thrown out in the rebooting process? It’s confusing — and at times anxiety-inducing. Adding to the uncertainty is the argument some CEOs keep making that workers absolutely need to be in the office to recapture the same level of productivity as before the pandemic. “That’s just not true,” says Kimberly French, assistant professor in the School of Psychology.