The return-to-office (RTO) debate shows no signs of resolution in 2026. After years of experimentation, many employers are hardening their positions. According to Kastle Systems data, office occupancy in major U.S. cities averaged just 53% in late 2025, yet companies continue to mandate increased in-office attendance.

Executives cite collaboration, culture, and productivity as reasons for RTO. JPMorgan Chase, Amazon, and Meta have all rolled out stricter in-office requirements, with penalties for noncompliance. Yet workers remain resistant. A 2025 Gallup survey found that 70% of remote-capable employees prefer hybrid or fully remote work, while only 30% want to be mostly in-office.

This disconnect breeds tension. Some employees comply but disengage, while others quit. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) reports that 1 in 4 workers who left their jobs in 2025 cited return-to-office mandates as a factor. For working mothers, caregivers, and those in rural areas, rigid RTO policies are particularly disruptive.

Companies are experimenting with compromises. Some are offering “team-based RTO,” allowing departments to set their own schedules. Others are redesigning offices as collaboration hubs, focusing on brainstorming, training, and social connection rather than daily desk work.

Still, the broader trend is clear: employers are regaining leverage as the job market tightens. Workers have less bargaining power than during the Great Resignation, making it easier for companies to enforce unpopular policies.

The long-term outcome may be uneven. Industries requiring high collaboration or sensitive data security are likely to remain office-heavy, while tech, creative, and knowledge industries could retain more hybrid flexibility. Employees increasingly weigh flexibility in job choices, forcing employers to balance retention with control.

RTO mandates may persist, but organizations that impose them without empathy risk alienating talent. Those who adapt policies to different roles, teams, and worker needs will maintain stronger engagement in a polarized work environment.

Source: Workplace Intelligence