RTO vs Reality: The 2025 Showdown
Plus, research-backed strategies for RTO success with Annie Dean and Brian Elliott
👋 Happy New Year! This year, HR leaders will continue to bring employees back to the office four or even five days a week. Of the 14% of HR leaders preparing for RTO in 2025, 45% are planning for a five-day return, according to a recent HR Brew survey.
In this week’s edition:
🏢 Is 2025 the Year of RTO?
📊 US Firms’ Predominantely Flexible
🎟️ Navigating the Changing Office Landscape
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THIS WEEK’S FLEX FOCUS 🔍
Will 2025 Will 2025 Be the Watershed Year for RTO Mandates? That Depends.
As major corporations tighten their return-to-office policies, Chipotle has found a middle ground with its four-day in-office requirement—though CFO Adam Rymer warns this flexibility could vanish if productivity dips. The burrito chain's stance reflects a broader evolution in workplace policies, where fully flexible arrangements are declining while hybrid models gain traction. According to our latest Q4 Flex Report, hybrid policies now govern 43% of U.S. companies, up from 29% a year ago.
While giants like AT&T and Amazon mandate five-day office attendance, others like Deckers Outdoor maintain a looser policy. These companies are particularly mindful of space constraints as their workforce grows. DirecTV stands out as a contrarian success story, reporting increased productivity since becoming a remote-first workplace in 2021.
With major policy shifts expected for federal workers under the incoming Trump administration, 2025 may be a pivotal year in defining the future of workplace flexibility.
FLEX WORK QUICK HITS 💥
Stay ahead of the curve with our curated roundup of the trending flexible work stories making waves right now. Here's what you need to know 👇
CNBC: Remote work proves resilient despite high-profile pushback from Musk and major corporations, as economists cite its profit-boosting staying power.
Washington Post: Remote-first companies like Bluesky and Pinterest report faster product launches and better innovation through distributed teams.
Business Insider: As major corporations tighten office mandates, workers seeking remote opportunities in 2025 may need to pivot to smaller companies or self-employment.
Travel & Leisure: In a bid to attract digital nomads, Taiwan has launched a new six-month visa program for remote workers, aiming to welcome 10,000 remote workers by 2028.
STAT OF THE WEEK 📈
Nearly 70% of US Firms Offer Work Location Flexibility
On an industry-adjusted basis, 68% of US firms offer work location flexibility, meaning they do not require corporate employees to work full time from the office. This represents a slight increase from Q3 2024 when 67% of US firms offered work location flexibility.
The roughly two-thirds / one-third split on work location flexibility is a big shift from the first Flex Index quarterly report in Q1 2023. At that time, the split was about 50/50; 51% of US firms offered work location flexibility, and 49% required Full Time In Office for corporate employees.
FLEXPERT INSIGHTS 🧠
Navigating the Return-to-Office, Hybrid, and Remote Landscape
As companies redefine their workplace strategies, the debate over return-to-office, hybrid, and remote work continues to evolve. In this exclusive session, moderated by i4cp CEO Kevin Oakes, industry experts Brian Elliott and Annie Dean will share their insights on the future of workplaces, the challenges organizations face, and how employees can thrive in flexible work environments.
Register today to learn:
The latest research and data on RTO and hybrid policies
How to balance collaboration, productivity, and employee well-being
Implications and risks to navigate before expanding your RTO approach
Insights into other ways to achieve greater productivity and other desired outcomes
FLEX PERSPECTIVES 🎙️
ICYMI: Beyond Borders: Building Culture in a Remote World | Tony Jamous
In this episode of Flex Perspectives, Rob Sadow is joined by Tony Jamous, CEO & Co-Founder of Oyster. As a global employment platform, Oyster aims to remove the barriers to remote work and distributed hiring, making hiring people anywhere easier for companies everywhere.
Check out the full episode to learn:
How Tony conceived of Oyster before the pandemic’s impact
Oyster’s rapid growth to a fully remote organization
How Oyster builds culture without ever getting the full team together in person
Also available on Apple Podcasts.
COMPANY SPOTLIGHT ✨
Bucket Listers is a digital marketing company established in 2016 focused on providing innovative lifestyle content and experiences and aims to inspire millions to check off their bucket list adventures. Their mission is to be the definitive source for discovering and booking life's most memorable experiences.
ONE MORE THING 1️⃣
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