As the world slowly emerges from the grips of the COVID-19 pandemic, many major companies are now requiring employees to return to the office either full-time or part-time. This shift back to in-person work has been met with mixed reactions from employees and has sparked debates about the future of remote work. Business Insider compiled a running list of companies that are calling employees back to the office, including corporate giants like JPMorgan, Starbucks, and Amazon.
The start of 2025 has seen a new push for employees to return to the office, with companies like Amazon and AT&T announcing that their employees will be required to work in the office five days a week. This move marks a significant departure from the hybrid work policies that many companies adopted during the pandemic. Other major employers, such as JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs, have also abandoned their hybrid attendance policies in favor of full return-to-office mandates.
Several executives and leaders have cited increased productivity and collaboration as reasons for bringing employees back to the office. Some CEOs who previously praised the flexibility of remote work have backpedaled on their stance and are now enforcing return-to-office mandates. In some cases, companies are tracking attendance and even firing employees who do not comply with the new policies.
Amazon, for example, announced in September 2024 that it would end remote work starting in 2025. CEO Andy Jassy emphasized the advantages of being together in the office, citing easier collaboration and connection among employees. However, this decision was met with criticism from some Amazon employees who viewed the new return-to-office policy as overly strict and regressive.
Apple, on the other hand, required its employees to return to the office at least three days a week in August 2022. CEO Tim Cook stated that the decision was aimed at restoring in-person collaboration, despite pushback from some employees who believed they could do exceptional work from home.
AT&T, BlackRock, Chipotle, Citigroup, Dell, Disney, Goldman Sachs, Google, IBM, JPMorgan, KFC, Meta, Redfin, Salesforce, Snap, Starbucks, Sweetgreen, Tesla, TikTok, Toyota, Ubisoft, Uber, Walmart, The Washington Post, X, and Zoom are just a few of the companies that have implemented return-to-office policies in recent months.
Overall, the return-to-office trend reflects a broader shift in corporate culture as companies seek to balance the benefits of in-person collaboration with the flexibility of remote work. The debate over the future of work continues to evolve, with employees and employers navigating the challenges and opportunities presented by the changing landscape of work.
