5 days in the office is the least popular way to work. Bosses are mandating it anyway
In the past week, automaker Stellantis and retailer Home Depot joined a growing list of major employers requiring workers to return to the office five days a week. They follow companies such as Instagram, Paramount, and Amazon, reflecting a broader shift toward stricter return-to-office (RTO) policies.
Roughly one-third of U.S. companies (34%) now require full-time, in-office attendance, according to workforce analytics firm Flex Index. But these mandates are deepening tensions between executives and employees. While leaders argue that on-site work boosts productivity, collaboration, and company culture, full-time office work is the least popular option among workers—especially younger ones.
Generation Z and millennials, generally defined as those born between 1981 and 2012, make up more than half of the 170 million–person U.S. labor force. They are also the most resistant to full-time office attendance. Gallup data shows that just 6% of Gen Z workers and 4% of millennials prefer fully in-person work, compared with 9% of Gen X and 10% of baby boomers. Hybrid work is by far the most popular model, with 71% of Gen Z workers ranking it as their top choice.
Despite these preferences, a cooling job market is pushing more workers to comply with RTO mandates. Hiring slowed significantly in 2025, with employers adding just 584,000 jobs—the weakest annual gain outside of a recession since 2003, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data cited by Navy Federal Credit Union’s chief economist, Heather Long. While unemployment held steady at 4.4% in December, long-term unemployment rose, with 26% of job seekers out of work for six months or longer.
As a result, fewer workers say they would quit in response to a mandatory return to the office. In December, only 40% said they would leave or look for a remote role if faced with an RTO order, down sharply from 91% in January 2025, according to a MyPerfectResume survey of 1,000 workers.
Employees, even when unhappy, are increasingly “hunkering down,” says Jasmine Escalera, a career expert at LiveCareer. That often means accepting stricter attendance requirements, heavier workloads, and smaller raises.
This resignation-driven compliance may come at a cost. Escalera warns that forced RTO can fuel burnout and disengagement, particularly among younger workers who value flexibility but tend to have less job security. Gallup data shows Gen Z and younger millennials have experienced the largest declines in engagement since 2020, including feeling cared about at work and having opportunities to learn and grow.
While some employees may stay put, others—often the most valuable—may leave. That outcome may even be intentional, says Nick Bloom, a Stanford economist who studies remote work. Mandating five days in the office can prompt 5% to 10% of employees to quit, reducing headcount without formal layoffs or severance costs.
Company leaders cite other motivations, including performance, innovation, and culture. Home Depot CEO Ted Decker recently told employees that in-person work strengthens collaboration, supports frontline staff, and reinforces the company’s culture.
There are benefits to in-person work, Escalera says, but only when leaders actively foster collaboration and creativity rather than simply mandating attendance. Still, some executives may favor office-based management simply because it feels more familiar, according to Mark Ma, an associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh.
Ma warns that RTO mandates often have unintended consequences. Research shows that highly skilled employees are 77% more likely to quit after RTO policies than less skilled workers, and senior employees are 36% more likely to leave than junior staff. Working parents, caregivers and employees with disabilities—groups that often rely on flexibility or accommodations—are also disproportionately affected.
Anecdotally, Ma says he’s already seeing senior talent explore new opportunities following recent RTO announcements. With most companies still offering hybrid schedules, those employers may have a distinct advantage in attracting and retaining top performers.