Companies have increasingly adopted return-to-office policies, implementing strategies that range from gradual transitions and hybrid models to strict mandates requiring full-time, on-site presence. While some organizations have found success balancing remote and in-office work, others have enforced strict attendance requirements, even warning of termination for non-compliance. Below are 10 companies that have executed diverse return-to-office plans, highlighting various approaches to productivity, collaboration, and maintaining company culture.
Amazon
Amazon mandated a full return to office starting January 2025, emphasizing CEO Andy Jassy's belief in the critical role of in-person collaboration, innovation, and company culture. While this move faced logistical hurdles like limited workspace, internal surveys revealed considerable employee dissatisfaction, with nearly three-quarters considering leaving, highlighting challenges in balancing organizational goals with employee expectations (WSJ).
JPMorgan Chase
JPMorgan Chase required all employees to be back in the office full-time by March 2025, emphasizing the irreplaceable value of mentoring, teamwork, and immediate communication. Despite logistical challenges such as desk shortages, the mandate reaffirmed the company’s focus on face-to-face interaction. However, the decision sparked pushback, with over 1,000 employees petitioning to restore hybrid flexibility (Financial News).
Dell Technologies
Dell eliminated its hybrid and remote policies in February 2025, requiring employees to return full-time to foster direct collaboration and boost productivity. CEO Michael Dell highlighted spontaneous interactions as essential for innovation, marking a significant shift toward traditional office dynamics. Despite this change, Dell acknowledges the benefits of remote work, including flexibility and reduced commute times, and continues to offer remote work solutions. Employees who do not live near a Dell office are permitted to continue working remotely. (The Verge).
Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs enforced a strict five-day return to office, aiming to strengthen company culture through face-to-face mentoring, professional development, and teamwork. The firm positioned this move as crucial for maintaining its competitive edge and reinforcing its traditional workplace culture. CEO David Solomon has been a vocal advocate for this approach, asserting that remote work is "not ideal for us" and referring to it as an "aberration" that the firm aims to correct. (Business Insider).
IBM
IBM implemented an assertive policy requiring managers to be in-office at least three days a week or risk losing their roles. This mandate underscored IBM’s emphasis on in-person leadership and accountability as key to organizational effectiveness, though specific employee responses were not publicly detailed. Additionally, IBM's Finance & Operations division implemented a similar RTO policy in February 2025, requiring employees to relocate near specific hubs or face severance (Business Insider, The Register).
Autodesk
Autodesk adopted the "Flex Forward" policy, providing employees full autonomy to choose their work location without fixed in-office days. The flexible approach empowers team leaders to determine when physical presence is needed, enhancing employee satisfaction through choice and trust. Since implementing this flexible approach, Autodesk has observed a 58% increase in job applications, an 82% rise in female applicants, and a 45% increase in candidates from underrepresented groups (Autodesk News).
Washington Post
The Washington Post announced a strict return-to-office (RTO) mandate requiring all employees to work in-office five days a week, with managers returning by February 2025 and all staff by June 2025. However, The Washington Post Guild criticized the policy as "inflexible and outdated," arguing it could disrupt productivity more than enhance it. Management reinforced that non-compliance would be treated as a voluntary resignation, aligning the company with other major firms enforcing stricter in-office policies (The New York Post).
Apple
Apple implemented a hybrid work model requiring employees to be in the office at least three days a week—Tuesdays, Thursdays, and a third day set by individual teams—emphasizing the importance of in-person collaboration for innovation and culture. Some employees pushed back, arguing that remote work had been effective. A petition opposing the mandate gained traction, but Apple remained firm, warning that non-compliance could lead to disciplinary action, including termination (Fortune).
AT&T
In January 2025, AT&T enforced a strict five-day in-office work mandate, requiring employees to work full-time at designated corporate hubs after reducing its office locations from over 350 to nine key sites. The transition has been met with logistical challenges, including desk shortages, overcrowded parking, and long elevator wait times, particularly in the Atlanta office. Employees have expressed dissatisfaction, with some suspecting the mandate is a strategy to encourage voluntary resignations without layoffs (Business Insider).
Toyota
In January 2025, Toyota Motor North America announced that all salaried employees are required to work on-site Monday through Thursday, starting in September 2025. This mandate applies to all job levels, including corporate and engineering departments, with the option to work remotely on Fridays, subject to business needs (WYMT).
Many companies today are taking different paths—fully returning to the office, adopting a hybrid model, or leaving the choice entirely to employees. Each approach comes with unique benefits and challenges. Which work setting do you prefer, and why?
