Corporate Return‑to‑Office Plans Seem More Bark Than Bite

Despite Growls and Mandates, Workers Aren’t Fetching

Another day, another media entry into how return-to-office plans aren’t panning out like corporate masters want.

This time, it’s Theo Francis with an excellent Wall Street Journal article, “The Rush to Return to the Office Is Stalling.” Francis reports that a growing list of corporate heavyweights have ratcheted up return‑to‑office (RTO) mandates. The 2025 entries include Microsoft, Paramount, NBCUniversal and others.

Yet, despite the bellowing from corner offices, average office attendance has barely budged. I have followed the U.S. Survey of Working Arrangements and Attitudes (SWAA) for years. Their data show employees work from home about 27% of the time, a figure that has stagnated since 2023.

For years, I’ve written that the real future of work is remote or at least hybrid. Now, I’m beginning to think that many corporate dogs are barking loudly, but few are biting.

And even when they bite, they’re chomping on the wrong problem.

RTO Compliance Remains Weak

Other data sources agree with SWAA. According to Founders Reports, companies increased in-office requirements by 12% in the last year. But actual office attendance rose by only 1-3%.

Gallup’s research finds hybrid employees now spend 46 % of their workweek in the office, or roughly 2.3 days. Bureau of Labor Statistics data show that about one‑fifth of U.S. workers telework at least part of the time, a figure that has dipped only slightly since 2024.

Like in past years, many firms say they plan to discipline or fire non‑compliant workers. But there’s a big gap between threat and follow‑through. Many companies don’t have the infrastructure to monitor compliance. For return-to-office plans, you need badge swipes, Wi‑Fi logs, schedule audits, that kind of thing.

And with cooling consumer confidence and unpredictable trade wars, few firms are looking for unnecessary investments.

So despite headlines proclaiming a rush back to the kennel (I mean cubicles), the numbers show a stall. Workers simply aren’t heeling when commanded.

The Collar of Control Versus the Freedom of Trust

Why is compliance with return-to-office plans so weak? I’ve long argued that many RTO policies are about control, not performance. Earlier this year, I described Amazon’s chaotic return to the office. The company ordered employees back without verifying basic logistics, leaving people scrambling for desks and parking spaces.

That fiasco happened because top‑down decision‑making ignored the realities on the ground. When bosses treat employees like chattel they must herd, they erode trust and motivation

This wasn’t an isolated case. Employees returning to other large campuses report lines for conference rooms and overcrowded parking garages. It’s hard to justify commuting two hours a day just to take Zoom calls from a hallway.

The job market may not be as hot as it was in 2021, but skilled employees still have options. And many prize the work-life balance that comes with remote or hybrid arrangements. Forcing them back into cubicles is like trying to keep a border collie inside all day; it won’t end well.

RTO as a Stealth Layoff? Don’t Play Fetch with Talent

Border collies have a reputation. Coop them up all day, and you might see the results of destructive behavior when you come home. Think shredded couch cushions, gnawed furniture legs or torn-up shoes scattered across the floor.

Business owners using RTO plans as a way to cut jobs without layoffs could find the same thing.

First, let’s look at the data. BambooHR’s survey revealed that 25% of VP and C‑suite executives and 18% of HR leaders admitted their RTO plans would send some workers voluntarily packing.

Well, either too few can quit – or too many.

If too few quit, you could wind up having to lay people off anyway. According to that survey, almost two‑in‑five managers think that’s what happened after return-to-office-plans at their organizations. Not enough took the hint. So worker morale takes two hits: one from RTO mandates, the second from layoffs.

And the ones that do take the hint are usually the ones you want to keep. During layoffs, managers may think they are pruning low performers. But when you shove people back into the office, high‑performing, in‑demand talent will exercise its leverage to find jobs elsewhere.

This is like rattling the leash to see which pups run toward the door and which run away. You, the boss, do not get to choose who escapes under the fence.

Trust is the Leash that Holds

So what should leaders do?

My industrial engineering background taught me to design processes around reality, not around executives’ nostalgia for the water cooler.

First, stop barking RTO mandates. Ultimatums rarely change behavior and often backfire. Instead, articulate the specific tasks that truly require colocation, and leave everything else flexible.

If teams collaborate better in person on certain projects, schedule on‑site sprints. If work can be done anywhere, trust your employees to choose the best environment for their productivity and well‑being.

Second, recognize that employee preferences are not a passing fad. The pandemic permanently Increased remote work equivalent to almost 40 years of pre-pandemic growth.

Third, this new paradigm affects whether you can keep good employees. The Work Institute’s 2025 Retention Report identifies flexible or remote work as one of the top retention strategies for U.S. employers. And 76% of companies report higher retention from allowing remote work.

Fourth, measure outcomes instead of activity. Trust doesn’t mean absence of accountability; it means you evaluate people based on results rather than work location.

Gallup’s research shows that employees are more productive and less anxious when team members and individuals determine their hybrid/remote options.

In my experience, when you give people the freedom to choose how they work, they will surprise you with their creativity and dedication. And the SWAA research backs that up, too. Those who work their preferred number of days remotely report higher job satisfaction.

Finally, treat real estate as a support function, not a symbol of power. Some executives cling to office leases like a dog to a bone.

But large office footprints are a cost, not an asset, especially when employees can produce from anywhere. Flexibility in real estate – smaller hubs, co‑working office space, remote allowances – is better for the balance sheet and workers.

More Remote Wag, Less RTO Bark

The phrase “all bark and no bite” fits many corporate RTO plans perfectly.

Companies have barked about culture, collaboration and productivity, but the data show that employees aren’t buying it. Remote and hybrid working models have stabilized, preferences remain firmly in favor of flexibility and enforcement of RTO policies is sporadic.

Some bosses may relish the feeling of putting employees back on a short leash. But those employees are increasingly likely to slip the collar and bolt. The future belongs to leaders who trust their teams, design work around outcomes and create workplaces – virtual or physical – that enable people to thrive.

As someone who has spent decades optimizing supply chains and organizations, I believe the goal is to unleash human potential, not to keep everyone underfoot. That’s why I’ll keep championing remote work.

When it comes to return‑to‑office mandates, the growls may be loud, but the bites are few and far between. And that’s as it should be.

Related Reading

• Starbucks’ RTO Mandate? Not that Bad …
• The Layoff Conundrum: Dishonesty Will Kill Workforce Productivity
• Employees Should Choose Their Hybrid Work Schedule