Is Your Office Services Model Ready for the 4-Day Mandate?

As more firms implement structured in-office mandates, often requiring attorneys and staff to be on-site four days a week, support services are being tested in new ways. But returning to the office doesn’t mean returning to the same workflows, staffing models, or vendor contracts.

If your firm’s office services remain built for the “old” rhythm rather than the one you’re moving into, you’re likely to see friction, cost overruns, or service shortfalls. In our experience, the question is simple: Is your office services model built for how the firm works now, or how it used to?

The In-Office Shift: Same Location, New Needs

At first glance, a four-day in-office policy may look like a return to normal. But hybrid habits have changed expectations.

• Attorneys may expect same-day turnaround when onsite, but still handle non-urgent tasks remotely

• Departments often rotate in-office days, creating uneven demand for support services

• Conference-room usage, print volumes, and mail delivery have become less predictable

The location may be the same, but the rhythm of how people work has shifted. Office services need to follow suit.

Rethinking Core Service Availability

With variable attendance and evolving practice group habits, firms need to take a closer look.

• Are staff scheduled during actual demand hours, or just defaulting to traditional hours?

• Is the mail, courier, and supply model built around current usage patterns?

• Are we over-serving low-volume days and under-resourcing the busiest?

The right coverage model depends on real usage data, not historical norms.

Don’t Let Old Staffing Models Drive New Frustration

We’ve seen firms struggle by sticking with old staffing assumptions. Too often, that leads to overstaffed quiet days, missed SLAs on peak days, and frustrated attorneys. A static model simply can’t support a dynamic, hybrid office.

Support teams must be sized and scheduled based on how and when people actually use services.

The Role of Cross-Training and Flex Staffing

The firms adapting best to the new schedule are leaning into cross-functional support. That means training staff to handle multiple roles, whether scanning, front desk, print, or hospitality, and using flexible resources to manage spikes in demand.

Rigid role structures create fragile operations. Flexibility is a safeguard, not a luxury.

Vendor Scope and Alignment Still Matter

Even a capable vendor can fall short if the scope is outdated. Many scopes were written before hybrid work patterns settled, which leads to mismatched expectations and wasted resources.

Ask yourself:

• Do pickup and delivery schedules still make sense?

• Do current print volumes align with staffing and equipment?

• Have reception or hospitality needs shifted based on floor usage or location?

This is the right time to reset the scope, not just to cut costs, but to get better alignment.

Technology Isn’t a Shortcut. It’s a Support System.

Digital tools can add visibility and control, but only if they’re tied to decisions. Volume dashboards, request portals, and vendor scorecards should inform weekly reviews, not just end-of-year reports.

We’ve found that tools work best when they’re used to make real adjustments. Otherwise, they’re just noise.

Case Study: Real Results in the Hybrid Era

An Am Law 200 firm with approximately 300 attorneys across multiple offices found that its administrative services, covering mailroom, reprographics, MFD fleet, and hospitality, were still structured around a five-day in-office model. As hybrid attendance became the norm, the firm struggled with inconsistent service levels, uneven staffing, and a lack of real-time data to drive decisions. Mattern conducted a comprehensive operational assessment that included surveys, focus groups, and workflow analysis to map actual usage patterns. We helped the firm redesign its staffing model, integrate cross-functional support roles, and realign vendor scopes to match hybrid workflows. The outcome was a shift to an outsourced model built for current needs, with projected savings exceeding 20% and a more resilient, right-sized operation.

The Mattern Perspective

Office services are the backbone of firm operations. If they’re still configured for the way people worked three years ago, they’re likely falling short.

We’ve found that almost any qualified service provider can perform well if they are managed effectively and held accountable under a scope that fits current needs.

The key isn’t just picking the right vendor. It’s building the right model.

If your firm is navigating a return-to-office policy, we’re here to help assess where your service model stands today and what it will take to make it work better tomorrow. Contact us at info@matternassoc.com