Return-to-office policies: Layoffs in sheep’s clothing?

The return-to-office debate sees no end in sight. Workers still want flexible work—and drag their feet complying with RTO, it was reported this week. Some workers have suspected such policies have been a way of companies saying: “Don’t like it? Quit.” 

Turns out, maybe they are. 

A recent Fortune article, citing a 2024 survey of more than 1,500 U.S. managers, found that a quarter of C-suite executives hoped for some voluntary turnover after introducing an RTO policy. One in five HR leaders went further, admitting their stricter office requirements were designed to push staff out.

So when the article started making the rounds on Reddit last week, the general lack of surprise was telling, and renewed discussion around worker suspicion that RTO goes beyond “fostering collaboration.”

“This belongs on the ‘no shit sherlock’ subreddit,” one user wrote. “This should have been pretty obvious to any person with the ability to think objectively,” another added. One suggested, “The rest just aren’t admitting it yet.”

Their skepticism isn’t misplaced. In fact, business leaders across the U.S. told the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book they’re banking on in-office requirements to quietly and cheaply trim headcount, all without having to play the bad guy.

More than half of Fortune 100 companies now have a full-time office requirement, and research shows nearly 3 in 10 companies will demand five days a week in the office by the end of 2025. That’s despite almost half of workers warning they’d quit if remote work disappeared. 

To some, the ability to work from home is a perk equivalent to 8% of their salary, and not something they are prepared to give up without a fight. 

But those threatening to quit may have less bargaining power than they believe. A mass exodus triggered by RTO might seem like it wouldn’t be in companies’ best interests, yet in fact, the opposite may be true. Forcing disgruntled employees to quit provides companies looking to reduce their workforce with an easy out, all without the need to foot the severance packages and bad press tied to layoffs.

Rather than cleverly killing two birds with one stone, however, RTO mandates, as a workforce reduction tactic, often simply drains talent along with morale among remaining employees. 

At a time where employees are already disengaged at work, there’s something to be said for a business strategy that’s all stick—and no carrot. 

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