As the world moves further from the peak of the pandemic, the way we work is once again evolving. In 2020, remote work had become the new future, by 2022, hybrid models became the norm and now in 2025, a growing number of organisations are calling employees back to the office.
The Return to the Office: What’s Happening?
In the first half of 2025, several high-profile companies from global banks to major tech firms have announced mandatory office days or full returns to in-person work. Some of the main reasons were down to:
- Declining productivity in remote setups
- Concerns about company culture and collaboration
- Desire for stronger managerial oversight
- Underutilised office real estate
Is Remote Work Really Dead?
Not quite. While full-time remote roles may be declining, remote work is far from extinct. Instead, we’re witnessing a rebalancing, where flexibility remains important, but the 100% remote dream is fading for many roles.
What’s staying:
- Hybrid models: Most businesses still offer at least 2–3 days of remote work.
- Remote-first companies: Some startups and digital firms continue operating entirely remotely.
- Remote as a perk: Companies are using location flexibility as a recruitment incentive.
What’s shifting:
- Fewer fully remote jobs: Especially in industries like finance, law, and consulting.
- More structured hybrid work: Specific in-office days rather than open-ended flexibility.
Employer Motivations
Why are companies pushing people back into the office? A few key motivations stand out:
- Culture and cohesion: Many leaders believe physical presence strengthens company culture.
- Innovation: Spontaneous collaboration, or “watercooler moments”, are harder to replicate remotely.
- Performance management: Some managers struggle to assess productivity remotely.
- Office investments: After spending millions on office space, there’s pressure to make it worthwhile.
A Global Perspective
The shift is not uniform across regions:
- US: Tech giants are tightening remote policies.
- Europe: Countries like Germany and the Netherlands retain stronger work-from-home protections.
- Asia: Office-centric cultures dominate in countries like Japan and South Korea.
The UK sits somewhere in the middle, with many companies embracing structured hybrid as the new default.
What Does the Future Hold?
The question of whether remote work is dying is not so simple, it’s evolving.
We’re entering an era of intentional flexibility where remote work is no longer the default, but neither is a full-time office presence. Instead, employees and employers are negotiating dynamic, purpose-driven arrangements.
Likely trends ahead:
- Outcome-based performance replacing time-based monitoring.
- Workplace personalisation — not one-size-fits-all.
- Tech upgrades to support seamless hybrid collaboration.
Focus on workplace wellbeing, both in and out of the office.