In the past week, automaker Stellantis and retailer Home Depot became the latest major companies to call employees back to the office five days a week.
They join employers like Instagram, Paramount and Amazon in recent return-to-office mandates. About one-third of all U.S. firms (34%) are requiring workers to be in the office full time, according to workforce insight provider Flex Index.
The new rules set up a growing tension between employers and their teams: While executives tout fully on-site work as aiding efficiency, creativity and culture, it's the least popular setup for all workers — particularly the youngest cohorts in their 20s and 30s. Experts warn this clash could lead to employee burnout, disengagement and brain drain if top performers leave for better jobs and those in the middle feel increasingly stuck.
Together, Generation Z and millennials, generally considered those born between 1981 and 2012, make up more than half of the 170-million person U.S. labor force and are the least interested in full-time office attendance.
Just 6% of Gen Z workers want to work fully in-person, along with 4% of millennials, 9% of Gen X, and 10% of baby boomers, according to Gallup data. Most workers prefer hybrid work, a schedule that includes both remote and in-office days each week, with a whopping 71% of Gen Z workers citing hybrid as their top choice.
