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]
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 [12] A call to return to office may feel controlling, manipulative, and outdated, negatively contributing to mental health stress.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]
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