The Anchor Day: Reclaiming the Office Without Sacrificing Remote Work

Remember the great "Return to Office" debate? As COVID-19 lockdowns eased, companies around the world made their moves. Some went full remote, while others demanded a full-time return. At Intuto, we found ourselves in a frustrating middle ground, a struggle that had been brewing since we started working from home.

We were caught in the Productivity Paradox: we loved the deep, focused work that remote days offered, but felt a palpable culture erosion. The spontaneous collaboration that happens in person was gone, and our team started to feel less like a unit and more like a collection of individual contractors. It's easy to lose momentum when you're stuck on a complex problem, trying to debug a nuanced issue on a shared screen, and missing the quick, back-and-forth flow of in-person discussion. We worried we'd lose the very cohesion that makes us a strong, small company.

We admit, our initial strategy for getting back together wasn't a master plan so much as a series of educated guesses. We went from zero days in the office to every single day, then back down to two, and then one. It felt less like a strategic pivot and more like we were trying to tune a radio station with a broken dial—constantly searching for the sweet spot between collaboration and quiet focus.

It became clear that the real solution wasn’t an either/or, but a blend. The common industry debate between remote and in-office work is a false dichotomy. Either you sacrifice in-person collaboration for flexibility, or you lose the benefits of focus and autonomy for the sake of being in the office.

Our answer was the Anchor Day.

We now have one mandatory day a week where the whole team is in the office. This is our anchor. It’s the consistent, non-negotiable time for us to work on problems that are just too difficult to solve over a video call. It’s also our dedicated time to rebuild that vital social glue that was starting to wear thin. We make it a point to catch up for a chat throughout or at the end of the day, with no agenda other than just being together.

Outside of that anchor day, our team has the flexibility to come in as they choose, often opting for two or three days a week. We’ve found that team members with kids, long commutes, sporting commitments, or other interests are empowered to find a balance that works for them. If a problem crops up that needs an in-person session, we’re all quick to agree to meet up, but it’s always a choice driven by need, not a mandate.

The biggest lesson we’ve learned isn’t a technical tip or a specific tool—it's a reinforcement of what we should have known all along. The real lesson is to stop managing time and start managing deliverables. This mindset isn't just about making people happy; it's about making them more effective. We've seen that trusting our team to manage their own time and workflow leads to better results than any strict policy ever could.

Some people might find their most productive hours late at night, and that's okay, as long as the work gets done. Working late frees up their time in the day for family, personal errands, or other commitments. You can see the work output in completed deliverables. When you build a culture of trust and focus on results, you empower your team to find a workflow that makes them most productive. In the end, the work itself proves that the team is performing, regardless of whether they’re in the office or on the couch.

Does your business have a different approach? Share your thoughts on X with #intutobuild and tag us @intutohq!