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.
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