Just 2% of respondents said their employer expected them to return by summer of 2021, while over a quarter said their employer had not announced a date for their return. Voice of the employee data will be critical in designing a return-to-office strategy. It’s imperative for companies to understand how their employees are feeling about returning to the workplace.

The bigger picture: Businesses have looked to Big Tech companies as models for implementing remote and hybrid work during the pandemic, and have largely followed their lead on return-to-office policies. These policies have been a source of tension between employers’ desire to return staff to the office, and employees’ preference to remain remote.

More retailers are prolonging their return policies and encouraging consumers to continue sheltering in place and practice social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.

For many consumers, online shopping isn’t as frictionless as some retailers may think, particularly when it comes to return policies.

Allow for seamless cross-channel returns: Credits for returns of brick-and-mortar purchases should be made available for subsequent online purchases, and vice versa. Make returns policies more flexible with the understanding that most customers expect free returns.

As companies like Twitter and Microsoft announce long-term remote work policies, business leaders are grappling with what their return-to-office plan may look like.

She told Insider Intelligence, “I would love to see a world where the return policy doesn’t exist anymore as it stands.” Companies already override policies with exceptions for high-value customers or for extenuating circumstances. Predictive analytics and retail return scoring could automate dynamic decisions about individual return transactions in real time.

Digital retailers bristle at the mere mention of the term “serial returner.” Many have put policies in place to block this apparent scourge. But there’s a difference between someone who consciously games the digital retailing system for their own insidious gain and a strong brand advocate who just wants to try multiple items and buy.

UPS is anticipating a surge of returns this holiday season, leading into the new year. According to the company, 1.6 million packages are expected to be returned daily the week of December 16 leading into Christmas. And a record-breaking 1.9 million returns are expected to take place on this year’s peak returns day—January 2—up 26% over last year.