Why Treating Staff Like Tools Destroys Trust

 

I recently read an article touching on the ongoing debate around return-to-office (RTO) mandates, which have remained a point of contention since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. While many people have discovered the benefits of working from home and are hesitant to return to the office full-time, this debate brought up a much deeper issue for me, how employees are seen and treated in the workplace.

Lovich, Novacek, and Taylor (2025) argue that RTO mandates often conflict with the idea of treating employees as customers. In their view, employees like customers should be given autonomy and choice. They bring their personal energy, creativity, and effort to work, but only if they feel valued and respected. That energy can easily be lost when they feel frustrated or unheard.

This perspective reminded me of a personal experience. A senior colleague once told me, quite bluntly, “As an employee, you are a tool to be used.” The words sent chills down my spine. It was jarring to be spoken to that way to be seen not as a person, but as something to be used and directed without regard for my thoughts, feelings, or well-being.

That mindset is deeply problematic. Seeing employees as tools strips away their humanity and undermines the trust that is so essential to a healthy workplace. It discourages open communication, limits creativity, and creates environments where people do only what is necessary to get by.

If organisations truly want to build trust, foster innovation, and retain talent, they must move away from outdated views of control and utility. Employees are not tools they are individuals with purpose, agency, and value. Leadership must evolve to reflect that understanding.