Nine in 10 Companies to Mandate RTO Next Year

Despite resistance from some employees within the American workforce, the majority of companies are pushing for return-to-office (RTO) mandates in 2025, according to a ResumeBuilder survey featured by sister ALM publication BenefitsPro.com. The survey, which found that nine in 10 companies will enact such mandates next year, is based on data from 764 companies that transitioned to a fully remote work model during the pandemic.

About two-thirds of companies have already mandated RTO, according to the survey. More than half of those have said they do not plan to change the number of office attendance days required next year. Almost a third said they plan to increase the days required in the office, and 15% said they will decrease the number of required days on site.

Roughly three-quarters of companies surveyed said they track employee attendance in the office. Of companies that already have returned to in-person work, one-third said they began requiring office attendance in 2022, while 23% brought employees back in 2021. Only 6% of companies indicated they do not plan to require any employees to return to the office.

The majority of organizations offer hybrid work options although there has yet to be agreement on the optimal balance of in-office and remote work days. About 30% of companies require employees to be in the office full-time, according to the report.

Organizations point to improved productivity, stronger company culture, better employee relationships, revenue and retention rates as reasons for requiring employees to be present in the office. Those who have elected not to require office attendance largely point to maintaining high employee satisfaction, minimizing or eliminating office-related costs and better productivity among employees working remotely. In addition, 47% are motivated by the ability to access a broader talent pool and 36% see it as a way of reducing environmental impact.

“In recent years, companies have been attempting to bring employees back to the office, often citing improved productivity (though not definitely proven), increased revenue, and a more cohesive company culture as reasons,” said ResumeBuilder chief career advisor Stacie Haller. “However, the optimal in-office model remains in flux.”

The debate over the ideal number of in-office days has been ongoing, with many organizations now settling on a three-day workweek in the office. Some companies have adopted a wait-and-see approach, closely monitoring the evolving workforce landscape to ensure they can still attract and retain top talent in a competitive job market.”