Commentary: Want people back in the office? Give them parking and privacy

As leaders navigate the evolving expectations of a post-pandemic workforce, a sobering reality has emerged: People won’t return to the office just because they’re asked. A growing body of evidence — including a recent in-depth analysis from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago — shows that employees are choosier than ever about what office environments they’re willing to tolerate. To draw them back, employers must rethink the modern workspace. That means reining in popular but ineffective trends like open floor plans and doubling down on amenities that actually work, like free parking and private offices.

Free parking may not be flashy, but it’s effective. The Chicago Fed report found that vacancy rates for office spaces offering onsite free parking dropped sharply across U.S. markets si