WFH to RTO
The pandemic had devastating effects worldwide. The loss of life that many families went through was the most critical outcome of the early 2020s. From a business standpoint, companies had to continue operating. For organizations with an intellectual, non-physical business model, working remotely (WFH) was a quick fix that allowed those companies to continue delivering products and services. During 2025 and into 2026, the tides are turning towards a return-to-office (RTO) mandate.
Technology companies were pioneers in changing their work schedule to allow employees to work remotely during the pandemic. Their flexible business model enabled prompt action with minimal impact on the business.
During 2025 and starting in 2026, several of these organizations are reverting this flexibility, suggesting that management sees a greater impact per compensation dollar when the team collaborates in person. Some companies start with three days per week, others increase to four days, and some end up with the entire workweek in person at the office, if available.
Large employers that have pushed RTO policies include: Amazon, AT&T, Walmart, JPMorgan Chase, Dell, WPP, Google, Electronic Arts (EA), Uber, Ford Motor, Target, Toyota, 3M, HSBC, Starbucks, Samsung, and others.
Building relationships and continuous learning are more difficult in a remote or hybrid environment. Collaboration also takes additional effort. The bet is that productivity will increase with minimal risk of attrition. Overall, businesses will continue to operate at various levels of this spectrum, from fully remote to hybrid to entirely onsite, as they continue to seek the right balance.
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