A number of large companies are tightening in-office requirements in 2026, rolling back work-from-home arrangements and the “flexible” ethos that took hold during and after the Covid pandemic.
According to a ResumeBuilder survey of business leaders conducted in October, nearly half of all companies will demand that employees be in the office at least four days a week next year, with 28 percent phasing out remote work entirely.
Why Are Companies Calling Workers Back to the Office?
Companies announcing this change have often touted a perceived decline in productivity that results from remote work, as well as the organizational benefits that come from having teams collaborating in-office and in-person.
However, some studies have shown productivity improves when employees are able to forego the daily office commute, and experts say there is not yet a consensus that these mandates are a recipe for success.
“The evidence is mixed and inconclusive as to which configuration results in higher productivity,” said employee health and well-being expert Ron Goetzel. “Much depends upon the job itself and whether being in physical proximity to a co-worker is essential.
“Certain jobs are best done by individuals who are left alone to think deeply and work without interruption,” he told Newsweek. “Other jobs rely on back-and-forth discussion, brainstorming, challenging debates, and side-by-side interactions that don’t require scheduling a Zoom call.”
Jennifer Schielke, co-founder and CEO of the recruiting firm Summit Group Solutions, believes companies’ motivations can be summarized in five Cs: culture, collaboration, control, cost and copout—”a means to get rid of people without actually firing them.”
“The success or failure really depends on the type of work and the structure of the environment,” she told Newsweek. “Some companies don’t have the right metrics in place to make a sound determination, some leaders are ill-equipped to develop performance in hybrid or remote arenas, and some people are just not well-suited for remote work success.”
Which Companies Are Calling Workers Back to the Office in 2026?
Many companies have issued back-to-office mandates for next year, either requiring total in-person attendance or heavily curtailing remote work arrangements. Drawing on recent announcements, the list below highlights some of the largest corporations implementing the change in 2026.
In early December, CEO Adam Mosseri announced that most U.S. employees would need to work in-person five days a week from February 2, part of an effort to build what he termed a “winning culture” at the Meta-owned company.
NBC Universal
Starting January 5, the media and entertainment conglomerate said its hybrid employees would need to be in the office at least four days a week, with the option to work from home on Fridays.
Microsoft
In September, Chief People Officer Amy Coleman announced that Microsoft would expect hybrid employees in the office for three or more days each week. The change is being rolled out in February and beginning in the Puget Sound area of Washington, where Microsoft’s global headquarters are located.
Truist
The $60-billion banking giant said in November that all employees would need to work in-office full-time from January 5, reflecting a belief that “in-person teamwork drives stronger results for our clients, teammates and stakeholders.”
Paramount Skydance
A leaked memo from the company, seen by Reuters, confirmed that it will also be implementing five-day mandates from January 5, and is preparing its New York and Los Angeles offices for an influx of formerly hybrid workers.
TikTok
Two employees of the short-form video platform told Business Insider that the company is demanding U.S. workers return to the office for five days a week starting next year.
Other companies, such as Google, Apple, Meta, and JPMorgan Chase, have already begun enforcing stricter attendance policies while phasing out hybrid options.
In-Office vs. At-Home
According to the sociologist Yasemin Besen-Cassino, remote options allow workers greater flexibility and an improved balance between careers and their family lives, which can have a “positive impact on employee morale.”
“This is very gendered however, we see much research pointing to different outcomes and expectations from men and women who work remotely,” she told Newsweek. “Women who work from home tend to still do more housework and childcare, while men protect the time they work from home.”
Schielke said rapid pushes for in-office attendance can erode trust in an employer, lead to employee burnout and risking “talent attrition” if workers choose to quit rather than give up their hybrid arrangements.
And according to Stacie Haller, chief career advisor at Resume Builder, the latter factor may be part of the reason so many companies are making this shift in 2026.
“Many organizations are using return-to-office mandates as a way to reduce headcount indirectly and avoid the financial and reputational costs associated with layoffs,” she told Newsweek. “Leaders are often aware that a portion of the workforce will choose to leave in favor of roles offering greater flexibility.”
But author and stress researcher Rebecca Heiss told Newsweek that fully remote work—and the prolonged social isolation that comes with it—can carry “real physiological and psychological costs.”
“We’re entering a period of rapid technological disruption—AI, automation, and constant change,” she said. “These moments are inherently stressful for the human nervous system. Learning new skills, failing fast, adapting roles, and redefining value all trigger uncertainty.
“From a stress physiology standpoint, humans feel safer navigating uncertainty as part of a group rather than alone.”
Source – https://www.newsweek.com/list-of-companies-calling-workers-back-to-office-in-2026-11242468