Social:Return to office

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Short description: Reversal of trend towards remote working

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arrangements may resist returning to the office.[12] A call to return to office may feel controlling, manipulative, and outdated, negatively contributing to mental health stress.[12][13][14]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]

References

  1. ↑ Gajendran, Ravi; Harrison, David (2007). "The Good, The Bad, and the Unknown About Telecommuting: Meta-Analysis of Psychological Mediators and Individual Consequences". Journal of Applied Psychology 92 (6): 1524–1541. doi:10.1037/0021-9010.92.6.1524. PMID 18020794. https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/apl-9261524.pdf. Retrieved February 17, 2022. 
  2. ↑ Wysa, Evan Ullman for (7 August 2025). "How return-to-office policies are shaping employee mental health" (in en). Boston 25 News. https://www.boston25news.com/news/how-return-to-office-policies-are-shaping-employee-mental-health/SYLGIGPZCZMO3CUCDEZTZ5DL6U/. 
  3. ↑ "New U.S. Census Bureau Data Show Detailed Characteristics of Home-Based Workers". https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2025/01/work-from-home-inequalities.html. 
  4. ↑ Ko, David. "Return-To-Office With Mental Health In Mind: Balancing Flexibility With Structure" (in en). Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbooksauthors/2025/06/06/return-to-office-with-mental-health-in-mind-balancing-flexibility-with-structure/. 
  5. ↑ "2023 State of Remote Work, Return to Office, and Geographic Pay Strategies | Payscale Research Reports". https://www.payscale.com/featured-content/remote-work. 
  6. ↑ "Creating a return to office policy that works | McKinsey". mckinsey. https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/returning-to-the-office-focus-more-on-practices-and-less-on-the-policy. 
  7. ↑ "Return to Office Split Deepens Banking's Transatlantic Divide". https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-08-14/return-to-office-split-deepens-banking-s-transatlantic-divide. 
  8. ↑ Davies, Jessica (29 May 2023). "WTF is 'threat rigidity' and how is it showing up in modern leaders?" (in en). WorkLife. https://www.worklife.news/leadership/wtf-is-threat-rigidity-and-how-is-it-showing-up-in-modern-leaders/. 
  9. ↑ Royle, Orianna Rosa. "Bosses are making their staff return to the office or quit—but they're notably absent themselves" (in en). Fortune. https://fortune.com/2025/08/12/ceo-return-to-office-absent/. 
  10. ↑ Guynn, Jessica. "These remote workers were ordered back to the office. They still work from home.". https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2025/08/27/work-from-home-workers-defy-rto-mandates/85821219007/. 
  11. ↑ Serfaty, Sunlen; Luhby, Tami; Nilsen, Ella; Herb, Jeremy (2025-03-04). "'It was messy': Federal workers ordered to return to offices without desks, Wi-Fi and lights". CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/04/politics/federal-employees-return-to-office-problems. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Gibson, Cristina B.; Gilson, Lucy L.; Griffith, Terri L.; O'Neill, Thomas A. (April 2023). "Should employees be required to return to the office?". Organizational Dynamics 52 (2). doi:10.1016/j.orgdyn.2023.100981. 
  13. ↑ Wysa, Evan Ullman for (7 August 2025). "How return-to-office policies are shaping employee mental health" (in en). Boston 25 News. https://www.boston25news.com/news/how-return-to-office-policies-are-shaping-employee-mental-health/SYLGIGPZCZMO3CUCDEZTZ5DL6U/. 
  14. ↑ Lipman, Victor (December 28, 2024). "How Do Return-to-Office Mandates Affect the Workplace? | Psychology Today". www.psychologytoday.com. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mind-of-the-manager/202412/how-do-return-to-office-mandates-affect-the-workplace. 
  15. ↑ Telford, Taylor (11 October 2025). "Women are taking pay cuts as companies mandate return to office". The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/10/11/rto-mandates-gender-wage-gap/. 

Further reading

Template:Critique of work




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