The average number of required office days rose 12% over the past year while measured office attendance increased only 1–3%. Remote and hybrid work patterns persisted after the pandemic, with many employees continuing to work from home or follow two- to three-day office schedules. Employers have instituted stricter return-to-office mandates, arguing that in-person presence supports collaboration, innovation, mentoring and company culture. Some characterize strict mandates as unenforced laws that make little practical sense given employee behavior and preferences. Reinstating full-time office expectations has prompted anger, lowered morale and visible employee dissatisfaction at some firms.
Showing up in the office five days a week was the norm until the COVID-19 pandemic shut down offices across America. With millions forced to work from home, commutes and cubicles faded into the rearview as the flexibility of remote work caught on. Even as offices reopened, many workers continued logging in from home offices or worked a hybrid schedule two to three days a week.
Employers see it differently. They say the pandemic-era isolation undercut collaboration and innovation that only comes from in-person interactions. When JPMorgan Chase put the kibosh on flexible, hybrid schedules this year, CEO Jamie Dimon forcefully defended the move, saying returning to the office five days a week was essential to mentor new employees and foster company culture. The new mandates were not popular with everyone. Morale took a hit at JPMorgan and elsewhere.
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