5 lessons that Mexico can learn from global lessons on flexibility and corporate well-being

Have you ever wondered if insisting on total in-person attendance really drives productivity or, on the contrary, undermines your team's morale?

In recent months, organizations such as Dropbox and JPMorgan have offered valuable lessons: from the risks of returning to 100% in-person work to the urgency of prioritizing mental health care. At the same time, studies from Gallup and WebMD reveal that unpredictable schedules and a lack of emotional support are eroding employee engagement.

In a Mexico that transitioned massively to remote and hybrid work during the pandemic, these global experiences can inspire changes that enhance performance and well-being. Here are five key takeaways for designing a healthier and more productive work environment.

1. The quality of schedules as a strategic factor

The global finding
Gallup found that 62% of workers in the United States do not know their shift at least two weeks in advance, face last-minute changes, or lack a voice to negotiate their schedule. This "lack of quality in schedules" translates to increased stress, family-work conflicts, and greater financial difficulties. Employees with unpredictable shifts report 57% more clashes with family responsibilities and 38% more economic problems.

Implications for Mexico
In our country, sectors like manufacturing, retail, and services still operate with rigid and non-transparent schedules. For many employees, adapting to changing shifts hinders personal life planning and affects mental health. Proposing a scheduling system with at least two weeks' notice and options for shift exchanges among peers reduces uncertainty. Implementing digital shift management tools (apps that allow visualizing and requesting changes in advance) empowers teams and decreases stress related to unpredictability.

2. The risk of forcing 100% in-person return

International cases

• Dropbox adopted a "virtual first" model in 2020 with 90% remote work and in-person meetings only when they add value. For its CEO, Drew Houston, forcing a total return is as retrograde as reviving obsolete malls. His approach has maintained high levels of productivity, creativity, and engagement by betting on autonomy.

• JPMorgan Chase implemented a 100% in-office mandate in January 2025. An internal memorandum revealed that well-being and work-life balance scores dropped one point year-over-year among its 284,000 employees, while fears of "quiet quitting" emerged. Unlike its competitors that maintain hybrid models, JPMorgan is now looking to strengthen support with AI and development programs to recover morale.

  
  

Relevance for Mexico
Although there is no formal mandate for total return in Mexico, some companies have begun requesting full in-person attendance under the argument of strengthening corporate culture. Before making drastic decisions, it's wise to gauge internal sentiment:

• Work environment surveys: Directly asking employees about their satisfaction level and willingness to return.

• Fixed meeting days: Defining key in-person days (for example, Tuesdays and Thursdays) and allowing flexibility for the rest of the week.

• Offices as collaboration centers: Redesigning the space for workshops, brainstorming, and team activities, not as mandatory areas for presence.

  
  

3. Tangible psychological support, beyond talks

What is revealed by WebMD
In a survey of 1,200 employees, only 25% stated that their company truly cares about their mental health, while 60% admitted that stress has increased in the past year and 45% stated that they do not have effective support programs. The end of many post-pandemic well-being initiatives has left a void that fosters turnover, absenteeism, and loss of engagement.

Practical strategies

• Structured active breaks: Brief sessions of 10 minutes for stretching and guided meditation at least twice a day.

• On-site chair massages: Periodic service at the office or at employees' homes, which reduces cortisol levels and reinforces the perception of care.

• Relaxation spaces: Areas equipped with ergonomic chairs, soft music, and warm light to disconnect between tasks.

• Training and awareness: Workshops on stress management and emotional balance led by organizational psychologists.

4. Results-oriented leadership

From presence to trust
The pandemic showed that working from home does not equate to low productivity; on the contrary, many areas responded with improvements in efficiency. Although five years have passed, the challenge remains to consolidate this trust:

• Agile methodologies: Introducing Scrum or Kanban to organize work in sprints or visible boards, focusing efforts on clear deliverables.

• OKR (Objectives & Key Results): Defining ambitious and measurable goals, reviewing them periodically, and adjusting resources based on results.

• Effective asynchronous communication: Using tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams with tagging rules and specialized channels, avoiding constant interruptions.

5. Gradual pilot tests to reduce resistance

Why controlled experiments work
Changing work culture abruptly generates rejection and increases uncertainty. Instead of global decrees:

1. Select a pilot area (e.g., marketing or design), where project management and creativity are easier to measure.

2. Establish key indicators: Volume of deliveries, response times, satisfaction surveys, and well-being metrics (use of active breaks, requests for massages).

3. Iterate in short cycles: After each month of testing, collect data, talk with the pilot team, and adjust the frequency of in-person days, emotional support format, or the duration of compressed workdays.

4. Communicate results: Share learnings with the entire organization to build trust in the process and ensure adoption.

These global examples invite us to rethink our practices in Mexico: from improving the quality of schedules to designing specific relaxation spaces. Which of these five lessons would you implement first in your organization and why?

At Zen to Go, we are experts in corporate well-being through at-home massages, which serve as active breaks and care for mental health. Our approach complements any work schedule—on-site, hybrid, or remote—and reinforces the culture of care and performance. Throughout these five learnings, the key is to balance flexibility with the tangible well-being of employees and to manage by results, not by presence.

Contact us.