Three in Ten Companies Plan to End Remote Work & Enforce Return to Office by 2026

Nearly a third of businesses plan to end remote work entirely by 2026, as employers continue tightening return to office (RTO) requirements despite persistent employee demand for flexibility, according to a new survey.

The October 2025 poll of 978 business leaders vying for by ResumeBuilder.com paints a clear picture of a corporate world retreating from pandemic-era flexibility. While hybrid work remains the dominant model, companies are steadily increasing the number of required in-office days, and many are preparing for a full return.

By 2026, 30% of companies will require employees to be in the office five days a week – up from 28% this year. Another 17% plan to enforce four-day office schedules, while only 10% will allow staff to choose fully remote work. Just 2% of firms say they will remain entirely remote.

TIGHTENING WORKPLACE RULES

That shift reflects a growing push by executives to rebuild traditional office cultures and address concerns about productivity and collaboration. Yet the data also highlights a widening disconnect between leadership ambitions and employee expectations.

“Many leaders claim to support hybrid work but are calling employees back more often because of underlying pressures and old habits,” said Stacie Haller, Chief Career Advisor at ResumeBuilder.com. “They equate visibility with productivity and fear losing culture and collaboration.”

According to the survey, only 16% of business leaders actually believe a five-day office week is ideal. The majority favour a three-day hybrid schedule, suggesting many organisations are enforcing stricter attendance policies than they think necessary.

REASONS FOR RETURN TO OFFICE

Roughly one in eight companies say they plan to increase the number of required in-office days in 2026, compared with just 5% that intend to reduce them. The most cited motivations include strengthening company culture (64%), improving productivity (62%), and making better use of office space (45%). A smaller but striking 8% admit they are increasing office days to “encourage employees to quit”.

“Research shows that increasing office attendance does not automatically improve productivity or culture; those assumptions are largely outdated post-pandemic,” Haller said. “Culture thrives not from proximity but from intentional communication, inclusion, and trust.”

Despite the push, most companies are offering little in return. Fewer than one-third provide any incentives to entice workers back to the office. Of those that do, the most common are social events (55%), free meals (51%), and commuter benefits (51%). Only a minority offer pay increases (34%) or childcare support (30%).

WHAT IT MEANS FOR WORKERS

“The most successful hybrid models focus on purposeful presence,” Haller added. “Bringing people together for collaboration and creativity works, but forcing attendance without clear benefit only fuels disengagement.”

Experts warn that the corporate pushback against remote work could backfire if economic conditions shift. “If hiring slows or layoffs rise in 2026, strict RTO policies may clash with broader labour market trends,” Haller said. “Employees may comply short-term, but resentment and turnover will rise once the market rebounds.”

For now, hybrid work remains the standard — but the flexibility many workers gained during the pandemic appears to be slipping away. Whether that shift boosts productivity or simply revives old habits remains to be seen.

RELATED ARTICLES

New research shows that most UK employees are resisting full-time return to office demands, with women and parents leading the growing rebellion against rigid return-to-office policies.

Nine out of 10 new mothers returning to work face at least one major challenge that threatens their career success, revealed a new study.

Workplace policies, financial support and flexibility are all key factors in family planning, yet many working parents feel that their current workplace and government support systems are falling short.

Many working mums still feel that they are forced to limit their careers as a result of their employer’s inflexible and outdated working policies and cultures, research has revealed.

Half of working mums don’t get the flexibility they request at work, according to a recent survey.