Rep. Jonathan Jackson Prays Trump “Do What Is Right” At Prayer Breakfast
The Illinois congressman took the opportunity to remind those in the room, specifically Trump, about the core principles of Christianity.
Rep. Jonathan Jackson gave a pointed prayer for Donald Trump during the National Prayer Breakfast while he stood in silence.
On Feb. 5, Trump attended the long-running Washington D.C. event. Jackson took the opportunity to remind those in the room, specifically Trump, about the core principles of Christianity.
Jackson, a Democrat from Illinois, is the son of civil rights icon Rev. Jesse Jackson.
In the name of Jesus, Jackson asked the president to begin to see the nation’s downward trajectory and take courageous action to fix it. He also suggested Trump has a diminished capacity to “do what is right” by praying for his “greater capacity” to do so.
“We pray for the future of this nation that you would lead this president into greater levels of compassion for your namesake. We pray that you will protect him from the iniquities of evil and that you would give him great clarity, courage, and a greater capacity to do what is right.”
Jackson also took the opportunity to reference the upheaval in Minneapolis, as the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) has killed multiple residents.
“We pray that he would be mindful of the poor and that he would be invested in the alleviation and elevation and suffering happening on farms in the Midwest in the families preparing to bury their loved ones in Minneapolis, reminding him that all Americans are made in the image of God and that none of them are free unless all of us have our freedoms protected,” Jackson said.
wow — with Trump standing behind him, a man (not sure who he is) offers this prayer: "We pray that he would be mindful of the poor and that he would be invested in the alleviation of suffering happening in the families preparing to bury their loved ones in Minneapolis." pic.twitter.com/toJk9vIboF
Trump showed no signs of having received the message as he stood by with little acknowledgement of Jackson’s words.
He appeared to bow his head and lightly sway as Jackson spoke. After the prayer concluded, Jackson and Trump shook hands and exchanged a few words.
The National Prayer Breakfast is a long-standing annual gathering that brings together political, religious and civic leaders for prayer and reflection. The event has been held every year since 1953 and typically includes remarks from members of Congress, clergy and invited guests.
At this year’s breakfast, other lawmakers also offered prayers and reflections. Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) led a prayer for unity and national healing, though he continues to push for policies that separate Americans.
The annual breakfast takes place at the beginning of the congressional session and is overseen by the National Prayer Breakfast Foundation, a nonprofit that coordinates the event in conjunction with a congressional steering committee. The foundation’s mission is to “foster spiritual fellowship and reflection among leaders.”
The Lake Theater and Cafe in Lake Oswego posted on Instagram just days after the official release of “Melania” to reveal that Amazon executives contacted the theater and requested that it pull the film due to the theater’s sarcastic marquee messages promoting it. The decision came after the theater ran a series of tongue-in-cheek marquee ads for the film, including “Does Melania wear Prada? Find out Friday,” and a quote from The Art of War: “To defeat your enemy, you must know them. Melania starts Friday.”
“Got a call that the higher-ups (i.e., at Amazon) were upset with how our marquee marketed their movie (i.e., Melania), that, per them, Sunday would be its last day here,” the theater captioned a photo of its marquee message following the film being pulled, which read, “Amazon called. Our marquee made them mad. All Melania showings cancelled. Show your support at Whole Foods instead.”
The theater said it had already faced backlash from some locals who were not offended by the marquee messages, but were instead upset that the film was being shown in the left-leaning city.
“Also got, before then, countless emails and voicemails and Google / Yelp reviews (Google / Yelp took them down), wondering why the hell we had Melania here, or disdaining our disparaging of her,” the theater’s management wrote. “Now that it’s prematurely over, the plug pulled on us not from public outcry (always listening, thank you) but by some corporate executive (fair enough, sorry AMZN, please don’t cancel my Prime).”
The theater’s manager, Jordan Perry, said the venue sold just $196 in tickets for the film during its single weekend. He admitted he only booked “Melania” as a joke, knowing that locals would be unlikely to support it.
Christopher Reid Of Kid ‘N Play Got A New Lease On Life After Receiving A Heart Transplant
"I’m urging all of my fans, all of your loved ones, to get checked out."
Christopher Reid, “Kid” from the legendary hip-hop group Kid ‘N Play, revealed the full story behind his heart transplant surgery
On Good Morning America, Reid told Michael Strahan that he had a heart transplant last year after noticing he was very lethargic and wasn’t feeling his normal self. After going to the emergency room last July, doctors diagnosed him with congestive heart failure.
“Over the last year or so, maybe just starting feeling more fatigued than before, shortness of breath, sleeping more than normal,” the 61-year-old told Strahan.
Since Reid figured it had more to do with him getting older and slowing down, even though he and his partner, Christopher Martin, AKA “Play,” still perform shows around the globe.
After being prescribed medication to help with the condition, three weeks following the visit, his doctor noticed that the drugs weren’t effective.
“He came in very swollen again, and that is a little unusual in somebody who’s been started on treatment, for the swelling to come back that quickly,” Erika Jones, Reid’s cardiologist, said. After Reid’s blood work drew concerns, he was immediately advised to return to the hospital, where he was told his only option was a heart transplant.
More than a week later, he got the phone call after being placed on a waiting list that a heart was available.
“They’re saying, ‘Yeah, we got the heart, and we want to put it in tomorrow night at 10 p.m.,’” Reid said. “We are like, ‘Excuse me?’ But that’s how it is. So the next night, 10 p.m., we go in, and about seven hours later, I have a new heart.”
Kid says he is deeply appreciative of his new lease on life and plans to enjoy the gift he received last summer. He also urges people, specifically people of color, to stay on top of their health.
“A lot of people are walking around with heart disease because they don’t go to the doctor. And you know, traditionally, people of color, we don’t go,” he said. “We don’t go for a lot of reasons. Sometimes we don’t go because we don’t have insurance. A lot of times we don’t go because we don’t want the bad news or we too busy just hustling trying to make it from day to day and we feel we don’t got time or we’ll get over it.
“Well, you might not,” Reid advised. “So I’m urging all of my fans, all of your loved ones, to get checked out.”
Money Is Allegedly At The Root Of Beef Between GloRilla And Her Sister
A family feud appears to be brewing between GloRilla and her sister, Victoria “Scar Face” Woods, after the platinum-selling rapper was accused of failing to financially support her family since rising to fame.
The rapper’s sister did not mince words during an appearance on TMZ Live on Feb. 5, where she criticized GloRilla and argued that the “TGIF” rapper has a responsibility to support her family financially.
Scar Face said that after the hardships GloRilla and her siblings faced growing up, it’s only fair that the rapper ensure her family is taken care of.
“She got an obligation to share the wealth,” she exclaimed. “We struggled together. Took baths in bottles of water, roaches, all that. Yeah, she obligated.”
🎥 EXCLUSIVE: GloRilla's sister, Scarface Woodz, says the successful rapper has an obligation to help her family who is struggling back in Memphis. Out of the millions GloRilla likely has, Scarface says they're only asking for $2,500. pic.twitter.com/mlDtyvTjBe
Scar Face claims her sister is prioritizing spending on friends over family. While GloRilla has provided some financial support to their parents, Scar Face alleges their mother is still working at FedEx and that their father retired only because he became eligible, not because his award-winning daughter supported his retirement.
“Gloria got y’all believing this fake a–, imaginary a– thing where she retired them. No, she did not,” Scar Face said. “My dad retired because his time was up. She’s supposed to have retired my momma, but she didn’t. My momma is still clocking the clock at FedEx.”
Scar Face said she isn’t asking for an excessive amount, telling the outlet she believes each family member should receive $2,500. Her comments came a day after she took to Facebook to publicly call out her sister, claiming she had to step in and give their parents money to help cover bills.
“I had to give my mom $1,800 on a $2,400 rent cause y’all favorite rapper blocked her!! I’m tired of being quiet,” Scar Face wrote in a post shared online.
glorilla’s sister is on facebook airing her out. I thought that stud that went viral for looking like glo was just a lookalike joke.. that’s really her sister wtf pic.twitter.com/6tjvfUJetX
GloRilla has not publicly responded to her sister’s claims, but she did share a screenshot of a text exchange with her mother in which the family matriarch thanked the rapper for all she does for the family.
“Really didn’t want to ask you because you already do so much for us,” the text read. “I thank you so very much for all that you do. I don’t take it for granted at all.”
The message continued. “I Really do Love and Appreciate you so very much! God Bless you for your honor, respect, kindness and love shown to me! You’re such a blessing to me. When I become a millionaire, I GOT YOU!! Meanwhile, I’ll prayerfully keep you in God’s hands continually.”
Glorilla Defends herself with a message from her mom thanking her for everything she does for their family after her elder sister accused her of not helping.
Mind you Glorilla has 12 siblings! How is she supposed to take care of everybody? Her siblings gotta hustle please pic.twitter.com/POksiwca0m
Trump Administration Reclassifies 50,000 Federal Employees—They’re Now Easier to Fire
This rule change will impact about 2% of the federal workforce.
About 50,000 career federal employees will find it easier to be fired and lose their ability to appeal disciplinary actions with the Trump administration’s latest move.
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued a final rule on Thursday on “Schedule Policy/Career,” allowing the administration to reclassify federal employees as at-will and not provide the same job protections as other positions.
According to the Federal News Network (FNN), reclassified employees will lose long-standing job protections. They will be unable to appeal adverse actions against them—including firings, demotions, or suspensions—to the Merit Systems Board. The OPM said federal employees will also be unable to challenge their reclassifications.
It’s unclear which positions will be impacted. Still, Trump administration officials said the creation of Schedule Policy/Career aims to improve employee accountability and address “performance management challenges” in the federal workforce.
“It will give agencies the practical ability to separate employees who insert partisanship into their official duties, engage in corruption, or otherwise fail to uphold merit principles,” OPM wrote in the final rule.
Democratic lawmakers have vowed to push back against the administration’s efforts to overhaul the federal workforce. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) is the co-sponsor of the Saving the Civil Service Act. The bill seeks to secure federal job protections permanently.
“They want to convert these positions that right now are based on your qualifications for the job, what you know, your experience, into positions where they can appoint political hacks to do the job.”
Van Hollen continued, “[This] directly undermines the whole idea behind the merit-based civil service. We will fight that.”
The rule changes come after Trump called for changes to the policy previously known as Schedule F. According to FNN, OPM’s final rule rescinds the Biden administration’s 2024 regulations aimed at preventing the resurgence of Schedule F.
The Biden administration’s regulation clarified that “policy-influencing” roles are exclusively political roles and do not apply to career federal employees. Removing that 2024 rule clears a path for agencies to reclassify their employees.
Bozoma Saint John To Receive Luminary Award At 2026 Women Of Power Summit
Saint John will be recognized at the Women of Power Summit Mar. 11-15 at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
Bozoma “Boz” Saint John is being honored with the Luminary Award at the 2026 BLACK ENTERPRISE Women of Power Summit. The event takes place Mar. 11-15 at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
Saint John’s career encompasses multiple roles as a senior marketing executive at some of the world’s most influential companies. After graduating from Wesleyan University with a degree in English and African American studies, she entered the advertising and fashion sectors before moving into global brand strategy.
The marketing specialists’ earlier roles include leadership positions in advertising and at Ashley Stewart, where she served as vice president of marketing. Her career continued at PepsiCo, where she became head of music and entertainment marketing. In that role, Saint John oversaw partnerships that connected the company’s brands to major artists, live events, and cultural platforms, helping redefine how corporate brands engage with music and popular culture.
Continuing her trend as a diverse businesswoman, in 2017 Saint John was appointed chief brand officer of Uber in 2017, She later transitioned to Endeavor in 2018 as chief marketing officer, overseeing brand strategy for the global entertainment, sports and content company.
In 2020 Saint John returned to streaming platform Netflix as its chief marketing officer, making her the first Black executive to hold a C-suite role at the company.
Beyond corporate leadership, Saint John is the founder and CEO of Eve by Boz, a hair and haircare company designed to celebrate Black women and women of color through culturally grounded products and African-inspired formulations, according to the brand’s official materials. Additionally, she serves on advisory boards, including Girls Who Code and Vital Voices, and co-launched the #ShareTheMicNow initiative to amplify the voices of Black women leaders across social media platforms.
Saint John’s influence has been widely recognized. She has been named the No. 1 most influential chief marketing officer in the world by Forbes, inducted into the American Marketing Association Hall of Fame, the American Advertising Federation Hall of Achievement and Billboard’s Women in Music Hall of Fame.
Saint John’s receipt of the Luminary Award places her among leaders whose careers have redefined how brands communicate, connect, and lead in a global marketplace. To be in attendance with Saint John and other brilliant Black businesswomen. register for the 2026 Women Of Power Summit here.
Minding Our Own Business: How Garveyism Imagined Pan-African Identity
Garvey’s philosophy did not challenge Jim Crow; it fundamentally rewired the Black American psyche.
History, at times, frames the struggle for Black liberation through the lens of legal integration. Marcus Garvey introduced a radical psychological shift— rejecting the American “melting pot” in favor of global Black sovereignty. As the father of Pan-Africanism, the Jamaican native’s work with the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) provided Black Americans with a blueprint for self-reliance that bypassed the need for white validation.
Garvey’s philosophy did not challenge Jim Crow; it fundamentally rewired the Black American psyche, transitioning the community from a domestic minority to a global constituency. The most immediate impact of Garvey’s philosophy on Black Americans was the dismantling of a colonial mindset.
In the early 20th century, systemic white supremacy had instilled a sense of social and cultural inferiority that Garvey sought to destroy through aggressive racial pride.
He was among the first to institutionalize the concept that Blackness was not a condition to be mitigated, but a heritage to be celebrated.
By establishing the Pan-African flag—the Red, Black, and Green—in 1920, Garvey gave Black Americans a distinct national identity separate from the Stars and Stripes.
This visual and philosophical shift laid the groundwork for the “Black is Beautiful” movement of the 1960s. For the working-class residents of Harlem and beyond, Garveyism offered a sense of royal lineage, teaching them that their history did not begin with the Middle Passage, but with the architects of African civilizations.
Garvey’s impact was as much about the wallet as it was about the spirit. His philosophy of economic self-sufficiency instilled in Black Americans that political rights were hollow without financial independence.
Through the UNIA, he fostered a network of successful Black-owned businesses—laundries, restaurants, and grocery stores—that allowed the community to circulate its own currency and build local, sustainable infrastructure.
The Black Star Line, though plagued by administrative hurdles and the feds not minding their business, conceptually was a psychological masterclass in collective ownership.
For a population often denied the right to own land or primary industry, the idea of a Black-owned fleet of ships was a radical assertion of agency. The focus on the “Black Dollar” created the ideological infrastructure for later movements—from the Nation of Islam’s business enterprises to campaigns demanding corporate accountability and Black-owned banking.
The transition from Garvey’s early 20th-century organizing to the militant self-determination of the Black Panther Party (BPP) in the 1960s represented the practical evolution of Pan-Africanism on American soil. While Garvey focused on a global “Back to Africa” sentiment, the Panthers made his philosophy of communal autonomy a local endeavor through their Ten-Point Program.
Point number three of the Panther platform—“We want an end to the robbery by the capitalists of our Black Community”—is a direct ideological descendant of Garvey’s UNIA business cooperatives.
Just as the Jamaican trailblazer established the Black Star Line to foster independent trade, the Panthers implemented “Survival Programs,” such as Free Breakfast for Children and community health clinics, to decouple Black survival from discriminatory state institutions.
According to historian Alphonso Pinkney, the Panthers viewed Black Americans as a “colony within a mother country,” a concept rooted in Garvey’s definition of the Black Diaspora as a global nation without borders.
This thought shifted the Black American strategy from seeking inclusion to demanding the power to manage their own social and economic destinies.
Beyond domestic policy, Garvey’s deepest impact was the construction of a unified transatlantic identity. He forced Black Americans to realize that their liberation was tethered to the fate of the African continent. The realization wasn’t a romanticized vision of the past, but a strategic geopolitical alignment.
By viewing ourselves as part of a global majority rather than a local minority, Black Americans gained a new form of leverage. In fact, the shift transformed the civil rights struggle into a human rights struggle, effectively internationalizing the American crisis on race and forcing the United States to reckon with its image on the world stage.
This “Garveyite internationalism” created a permanent bridge between the American urban center and the African village. It nurtured a generation of intellectuals who recognized that the fight against a Harlem slumlord was identical to the fight against a British colonial administrator in Kenya.
The thought leader’s interconnectedness remains the most significant intellectual contribution to the Black American experience, providing a sense of scale and belonging that transcends the limitations of Western citizenship.
Today, the influence of Garveyism is seen in the resurgence of Afrocentric education and the strengthening of ties between Black Americans and the African continent. Whether through “Year of Return” initiatives or reparations advocacy, the core of the movement remains Garvey’s original thesis– that Black American progress is inextricably linked to the strength of the global African community.
Garvey remains a foundational figure not because of his personal narrative, but because he provided the intellectual thread to fabricate the design for a people to build their own destiny.
Born on August 17, 1887, in St. Ann’s Bay, Jamaica, Garvey was the youngest of 11 children. His early life as a printer’s apprentice was instrumental, as it provided him with the technical literacy to later launch his global media empire. Garvey’s personal life was deeply intertwined with his political mission; he was married twice, both times to women who were formidable activists in their own right. His first marriage in 1919 to Amy Ashwood, a co-founder of the UNIA, ended in 1922.
He subsequently married Amy Jacques, who served as his personal secretary and later became a vital intellectual force, editing his famous Philosophy and Opinions and keeping the movement alive during his imprisonment.
Garvey’s life came to a quiet end in London on June 10, 1940, at the age of 52, following a series of strokes. Although he died in relative obscurity and was initially buried in London, his remains were returned to Jamaica in 1964, where he was declared the country’s first National Hero. Even in death, his transatlantic journey mirrored the very migration of ideas he championed throughout his career
President Joe Biden posthumously pardoned Garvey in January 2025, overturning a mail fraud conviction dating back to the 1920s.
Minding Our Own Business A Spotlight On Diaspora Enterprise and Culture.
Keka Araújo is Senior Editor and the sharp-witted voice behind Minding Our Own Business: A Spotlight On Diaspora Enterprise and Culture.She explores the connective tissue of the African diaspora through the lenses of entertainment, education, and economic equity.
With nearly a decade of industry influence, she chronicles the culture—from business to social justice to culture—through a relentless focus on Black collective power. Bicultural and unapologetic, she’s perpetually rooting for everybody Black, from the Motor City to the continent.
Trump Reaches New Low In Racism After Posting Video Depicting The Obamas As Apes
When will the blatant racism stop?
President Donald Trump is under extreme fire for posting a racist video of former President and first lady Barack and Michelle Obama as apes on his Truth Social platform.
The video was posted shortly before 9 p.m. on Feb. 5 in the latest attack on the Obamas, whom Trump has had a long-standing beef with since taking over the White House in 2016.
The clip, no longer than a few seconds, shows the heads of Barack and Michelle on the bodies of two animated apes, dancing in front of an animated jungle background to “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.”
Prior to that moment, another video is shown continuing to push false claims related to voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Trump refuses to back down from his belief that the election was stolen from him—regardless of lack of evidence.
Here's the full video Trump posted last night about election fraud.
Don't let the media disregard what the video was about just because it has the Obama's dancing around as monkeys the last 3 seconds. pic.twitter.com/fveciUjTlt
As the video started to go viral, the indicted president received a long list of criticism, calling the video disgusting, while others didn’t seem surprised, as Trump’s racist behavior isn’t new, or fake news.
Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY) said it’s “where he’s most at home. That’s where he’s most comfortable.”
“Some folks still find Donald Trump’s behavior shocking. I do not. This is the man who built his political fortune by way of a vile campaign of birther lies and harassment against President Obama,” she wrote on X.
“Bigotry has been his brand since Day 1, and the wretched ‘yes’ men who surround him enabling or endorsing this conduct aren’t going to change that. As his scandals continue to escalate, and as he continues to lose the little lucidity that remains with him, I expect Donald to only retreat deeper into the sewers of racism and ignorance.”
Some folks still find Donald Trump’s behavior shocking. I do not.
This is the man who built his political fortune by way of a vile campaign of birther lies and harassment against President Obama. Bigotry has been his brand since Day 1, and the wretched “yes” men who surround him… https://t.co/u5wz8wt56Z
Even South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, an avid Trump supporter, is calling for the president to remove the post, saying its “the most racist thing” seen out of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. “Praying it was fake because it’s the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House. The President should remove it,” Scott wrote on X.
Praying it was fake because it’s the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House. The President should remove it. https://t.co/gADoM13ssZ
The timing of this attack may not be coincidental as Michelle Obama’s documentary, Becoming, has seen an uptick in support, while first lady Melania Trump’s documentary has seemingly tanked..
Of course, Trump’s team has already defended his behavior
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt released a statement saying, “This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from The Lion King.”
“Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public,” she said, according to Variety.
Social media users seem unmoved, given the president’s stance on certain races. But one pointed out that it’s simply Trump being upset over being on the losing end of a popularity contest. Barack Obama is considered one of the most likeable and popular U.S. leaders ever.
“One thing Trump will never get over is how popular Obama is and how he will never approach his glory,” @harlemj11 wrote. “When Obama gets an airport or train station in NYC, Trump will finally blow a gasket and stroke out for good.”
Houston’s OST Liquor Store Spotlights Black-Owned Brands During Black History Month
'It’s about education, ownership, and making sure our community has access to brands and knowledge that are often overlooked,' said Chris Cooper, owner of OST Liquor Store
Throughout February, during Black History Month, the OST Liquor Store in Houston and its owner, Chris Cooper, will spotlight Black-owned spirits and beverage brands each week to raise awareness of these companies during our month of celebration.
The store, located in the Third Ward, will host free, public in-store events with no registration required, making it easy for anyone to visit and learn a bit of history. It will start on Feb. 6, running every Friday and Saturday through February (except Friday, Feb. 27), and will last three hours each day. The Black-owned spirits and beverage brands being featured will be paired with curated cocktail classes.
For Cooper, it’s not just about selling products; it’s also about educating and demonstrating that Black companies exist in the spirits business.
“This store has always been about more than selling bottles,” Cooper said in a written statement. “It’s about education, ownership, and making sure our community has access to brands and knowledge that are often overlooked. When you understand what you’re drinking and where it comes from, it changes the experience—and it creates opportunities for Black-owned brands to be seen, supported, and celebrated.”
Visitors to the store will have the opportunity to learn more about the brand from the company’s representatives. There will be samples from the brands, and attendees will also have hands-on experience crafting cocktails. Upon arrival, guests can expect to experience one of OST Liquor Store’s most recognizable innovations in its rotating double-cup cocktail kits. These kits were designed to simplify mixology for everyone. Cooper created these after realizing that many shoppers were unsure how to properly pair spirits with mixers. The kits rotate through hundreds of cocktail combinations, encouraging experimentation while teaching the fundamentals of home cocktail creation.
These weekend events are open to the public, with no admission charge, allowing visitors to drop in at any time.
OST Liquor Store is located at 3928 Old Spanish Trail, Suite E.
Below is the schedule for the tastings and the brands being represented that evening.
February 6 (Friday) Time: 4:00–7:00 PM Brand(s): Timeless Vodka & Zeal Rum
February 7 (Saturday) Time: 4:00–7:00 PM Brand(s): Teremana Tequila
February 13 (Friday) Time: 5:00–8:00 PM Brand(s): Gin & Juice / Still Gin
February 14 (Saturday) Time: 5:00–8:00 PM Brand(s): Maison Noir Wined by Andre Mack – LOVE DRUNK ROSÉ
Return-To-Office Mandates Pushing Out Highly Skilled Workers, Study Shows
Return-to-office mandates are compelling highly skilled employees, older workers, and caregiver to leave, according to research.
As employers roll back hybrid and remote work and enforce return-to-office mandates, new research indicates the shift could be costing them top talent.
Newly released research shows that employees who leave after new return-to-office rules are (re)established are often top performers and highly experienced workers with significant leverage, CNBC reports. The findings also indicate that working parents and caregivers (often women), as well as employees with disabilities who require workplace accommodations, are being pushed out.
“The probability of more skilled employees departing after RTO mandates is 77% higher than that of less skilled workers, and the probability of senior employees departing after RTO mandates is 36% higher than that of junior workers,” said Mark Ma, an associate professor of business administration at the University of Pittsburgh.
The findings coincide with a growing wave of return-to-office mandates, as Stellantis and Home Depot have joined major companies, including Instagram, Paramount, and Amazon, in calling employees back to the office five days a week. Studies indicate that approximately 34% of U.S. firms now require full-time office attendance.
The policies are widening a generational rift, as many millennial and Gen Z workers push back against the move. Despite executives promoting full-time, in-office work as better for efficiency, creativity, and culture, it remains the least favored option—especially among employees in their 20s and 30s. Experts caution that the tension could lead to burnout, disengagement, and a loss of top talent.
Research reveals a sharp shift in employee sentiment: just 40% of workers said in December 2025 that they would quit or look for a remote job if faced with a mandatory return-to-office order, down from 91% in January 2025. The drop suggests employees are adjusting back to full-time office work, even if they’re unhappy with it.
Experts note that while some workers comply due to a shaky job market, others choose to leave, which may be what the employer wants. Stanford economist Nick Bloom, who studies remote work, says some companies may welcome voluntary departures.
“One way to lose about 5% to 10% of staff is to make them all come in five days a week,” Bloom explained. “For every person that quits because of the RTO, that is one less person that needs a redundancy package.”
There’s still hope for jobseekers.
“The vast majority of firms are still allowing workers to have a hybrid schedule,” Ma said.
