Return to office

Return to office (RTO) refers to a reduction or cessation of remote work policies. Such policies became more common in many countries in the 1990s and 2000s.^[1] By 2019, 5.7% of the US workforce worked remotely,^[2] and this trend rapidly accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, after which 17.9% of the US workforce usually worked from home.^[3] Especially after the end of the pandemic, many businesses tried to recall their workforce to the office.^[4][5][6][7]

RTO efforts have been ascribed to threat rigidity.^[8]

Impact

RTO calls increase employee attrition and often impact staff more than management.^[9] In cases where RTO orders are unpopular, employees might not fully comply with them.^[10] In early 2025, the US federal government ordered millions of employees to return to offices, but in some cases the offices had not been maintained properly.^[11]

Employees who experienced increased well-being, productivity, and autonomy from remote and hybrid work arrangements may resist returning to the office.^[12] A call to return to office may feel controlling, manipulative, and outdated, negatively contributing to mental health stress.^[12][13][14]

A return to office mandate may impact women more through the motherhood penalty.^[15]