Return-to-office (RTO) mandates are becoming increasingly common in 2025. Whether it’s three days a week or a full five-day requirement, companies across industries are reestablishing in-office norms. In fact, recent surveys show that nearly 90% of large employers plan to have employees back in the office by the end of this year, with about 30% enforcing full five-day attendance. Another study found that nearly half of knowledge workers have already encountered new or expanded RTO mandates in 2025, including 19% facing five-day requirements and 10% required in-office three days a week.
Regardless of how you feel about the topic – whether you see it as an important culture driver or an outdated approach – one thing is undeniable: RTO policies cost employees money.
Recent data shows that the average employee returning to the office incurs significant new expenses each year. Commuting alone can cost between $5,000 and $10,000 annually when factoring in gas, maintenance, parking, and public transit fees. Childcare costs can rise by $5,000 to $15,000 annually, as parents lose the flexibility of partial in-home care during the workday. Daily lunches, coffee runs, and other incidentals can easily add another $1,500 to $3,000 per year. Then there are apparel costs – professional wardrobes, dry cleaning, grooming – and even pet care or after-school programs for children.
Taken together, these costs represent a material reduction in disposable income and can easily contribute to employee dissatisfaction. While employers may not be able to eliminate these costs entirely, they do have tools to help employees manage them. One such tool is a robust employee discount program.
A well-designed discount program can offer employees savings across many of the spending categories impacted by RTO, mitigating some of the financial burden of coming back to the office. Here are a few ways these programs can help.
How Discount Programs Can Help to Offset RTO Costs
Return-to-office mandates come with unavoidable financial burdens, and for many employees, these added costs represent a real hit to their budgets, often amounting to thousands of dollars each year. While employers can’t eliminate these expenses entirely, they can take meaningful steps to help. A well-structured employee discount program can ease some of the strain by providing savings across the categories that matter most. Let’s take a closer look at how these programs can support your employees as they navigate the financial realities of returning to the office.
Commuting
Financial impact of RTO: Commuting costs often range from $20–$40 per day, translating to $400–$800 per month or $5,000–$10,000 annually depending on distance, parking fees, and tolls.
How a discount program can help: Employee discount programs may offer discounts on public transportation, including savings on monthly transit passes or prepaid commuter cards, which can reduce expenses for employees relying on buses, trains, or subways. For those who drive, programs often provide discounts on parking services – a major expense in urban areas – as well as savings on vehicle maintenance and repairs, such as oil changes, tires, or general service at national auto chains. Some programs also include rideshare discounts, helping employees save when they choose not to drive themselves.
Childcare
Financial impact of RTO: Parents returning to the office may need to shift from partial to full-time care, increasing childcare costs by $5,000–$15,000 annually.
How a discount program can help: Some discount programs include negotiated rates with national or regional childcare providers, daycare centers, or after-school programs. Even a 10-15% discount on childcare expenses can yield hundreds to thousands of dollars in savings per year, helping alleviate one of the largest financial burdens associated with RTO.
Apparel
Financial impact of RTO: Returning to the office often means updating wardrobes and maintaining professional clothing, costing employees $500–$2,500 annually for new apparel, shoes, and dry cleaning.
How a discount program can help: Employee discount platforms frequently include deals with major apparel retailers, both online and in-store. Discounts of 15-30% on workwear brands can substantially reduce wardrobe refresh costs. Additionally, programs offering savings on dry cleaning services or laundry providers can cut ongoing maintenance expenses by $100–$300 per year.
Food & Incidentals
Financial impact of RTO: Daily coffee, snacks, and lunch purchases can add up to $10–$20 per day, or $2,000–$4,000 annually for full-time in-office workers.
How a discount program can help: Employee discount programs often partner with national and local restaurant chains, cafes, and meal delivery services to provide daily savings on dining. Whether it’s $2 off a coffee order or 10% off lunch purchases, these small daily savings accumulate over the year. Programs that include grocery discounts can also offset the cost of packing lunches for work.
Health, Wellness & Personal Grooming
Financial impact of RTO: RTO often increases grooming costs, including haircuts, personal care products, and salon services, which can amount to $600–$2,400 annually.
How a discount program can help: Many discount platforms provide 10-25% savings at national salon chains, spas, or beauty retailers. Some programs also offer discounts on fitness memberships, which can support employees’ health routines as they adjust to new schedules. These discounts not only help financially but also signal that employers care about employees’ holistic wellbeing during the transition back to office life.
Pet Care
Financial impact of RTO: Employees with pets may need midday dog walking or pet daycare services, adding $200–$500 per month, or $2,400–$6,000 per year.
How a discount program can help: Employee discount programs increasingly include partnerships with pet service providers, including discounted dog walking services, pet sitting apps, and pet supply retailers. Savings of 5-15%
Communicating Sensitively About RTO Discount Support
Even with meaningful financial relief, it’s important to recognize that RTO is a sensitive topic. Employees may view discount programs skeptically if communication is poorly handled or implies that savings offset the loss of flexibility or autonomy.
Here are a few tips for communicating about discount programs in the context of RTO:
- Lead with empathy. Acknowledge that RTO creates challenges for many employees. Position discount programs as one of many ways your organization is working to make the transition easier.
- Avoid framing as a replacement for flexibility. Make it clear these programs are part of your broader employee support strategy, not a justification for in-office mandates.
- Highlight practical benefits. Use real examples (like the ones above) to show how employees can directly reduce their out-of-pocket expenses.
- Make it easy to access. Provide clear instructions and quick links so employees can enroll or start using discounts immediately.
- Gather feedback. Encourage employees to share additional areas where discounts could help them navigate RTO challenges more effectively.
Conclusion
Return-to-office mandates are here, whether employees embrace them or not. But that doesn’t mean employers have to ignore the financial impact these policies create. Implementing and promoting a strong employee discount program is one practical way to help your workforce offset some of the new costs they’re facing, whether it’s commuting, childcare, food, grooming, or pet care.
Ultimately, supporting employees through these changes is about more than just offering perks. It’s about recognizing the realities they face and demonstrating that your organization is willing to invest in making their lives a little easier. In a tight talent market, that can make all the difference in maintaining morale, retention, and trust as workplace norms continue to evolve.