A recent poll shows that the risk of losing employees may not be enough to prevent many companies from implementing stricter in-office mandates in 2025. 

Some Businesses Seek to Extend Office Hours 

Results from a survey conducted by ResumeBuilder.com reveal that 25% of businesses implementing a return-to-office (RTO) policy want to increase the number of days workers are required to visit the office.  

The poll asked 750 business executives at companies with over 11 employees. Among the surveyed employers, 86% cited increased productivity as the primary motivation for instituting more in-office workdays, and 71% cited a desire to foster a more positive work environment.

On the other hand, 57% of business executives said they wanted to increase the number of in-office days to boost morale, and 55% said they were doing it to improve workforce retention.

Julia Toothacre, a career and resume advisor at ResumeBuilder.com, expressed her dismay that many company executives only make assumptions about factors such as staff happiness, production, and company culture. She pointed out that the key to productivity is effective management and well-defined goals.

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Businesses Lose Workers Due to RTO Policies

According to The Hill, companies have different views on the ideal number of workdays employees should be obliged to come to the office.

As per the survey, 25% of business leaders think workers should be in the office five days a week, 29% think four days is enough, 26% say three, 11% say two, 2% say one, and less than 1% say they believe workers should come in less than once a week.

However, these businesses have admitted that their current RTO policies have caused them to lose employees. About 14% of companies said they lost a lot of talent because of the policy.

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