Recent research shows that employees who use both in-person and digital wellness options are twice as engaged as those who only use one or the other. Still, this year has been the time of return-to-office (RTO) mandates, with companies like Amazon and Starbucks demanding employees back in the office five days a week. As the RTO war heats up into 2025, major companies say they’re fine with employees quitting if they don’t want to return. Other leaders say that hybrid and remote work are still on the rise. So when will the conflict end, and what will be the outcome? Business leaders share their predictions about the return-to-work policies in 2025.
The Death Of Return-To-Work Policies in 2025
Earlier this year, I interviewed several business leaders who stated that hybrid careers will win the RTO war. More recently, I spoke to a larger group of leaders who made similar stunning predictions about the death of return-to-work policies in 2025.
Doug Dennerline, CEO of Betterworks, insists that hybrid work is here to stay and predicts the death of RTO in the coming year. “The mandatory return-to-office policies some companies are enforcing will disappear in 2025,” Dennerline told me by email. He admits to being a strong advocate for a Remote-First approach or, at the very least, a hybrid model, but also sees the writing on the wall.
“These rigid mandates are causing talented people to leave jobs they genuinely enjoy, often placing managers in difficult positions where they have to ‘bend’ policies to offer the flexibility their teams need, but the company doesn’t officially support,” Dennerline reveals. “Let’s face it: hybrid work is here to stay. I recently read an article about companies that experimented with four-day work weeks and saw productivity rise significantly over the traditional five-day model. Now, employees in those companies are resisting any return to the full five-day schedule—proof that flexibility isn’t just a perk; it’s becoming an expectation.”
Andrea Lagan, COO at Betterworks, agrees that 2025 will be the year of the employee experience, requiring flexible workplaces and personalized development opportunities. “In 2025, employee expectations will continue to evolve, with flexibility, well-being and career growth becoming even more interconnected priorities,” Lagan believes. “Employees will demand not just remote or hybrid work options, but the tools and structures to work seamlessly and productively across any environment. Flexibility will mean more than location; it will encompass how and when work is done, emphasizing autonomy and trust.”
Felix Kim, CEO of Redrob, also believes that in-office work is obsolete and predicts that many companies will lose talent due to their strict thinking. “Companies are forcing people to come back to work in the office, but the tide has shifted,” Kim asserts. “There is going to be a big battle in 2025, and I think remote work will emerge as the winner in that. Hybrid full time is the way to go.”
Kim believes the big driver is AI, with the capacity to reach 1,000 candidates automatically. “This is something that has never been possible up until now and is going to cause competition. Remote opportunities will be the driving force for talent and companies, requiring in person work, and we are going to see a lot of good talent leave,” he says.
Alex Zekoff, CEO of Thoughtful AI, is another leader on board with the prediction that next year will be the time that smart companies adopt a hybrid model instead of enforcing return-to-work policies in 2025.“The best companies will move back to hybrid work structures,” he predicts. The best talent doesn’t like to feel controlled. To build team chemistry and comradery, companies will focus on more meetups and super commuting events.”
Tom Keuten, Senior vice president and global Microsoft Alliance lead at Rightpoint, expects hybrid work to evolve with AI, re-thinking digital and in-person engagements. He proposes that as return-to-office policies in 2025 take shape and hybrid work models become the norm, AI will redefine how employees engage both digitally and in-person:
“Tools like Microsoft Copilot are revolutionizing team collaboration by shifting from individual AI assistants to AI that supports group tasks. At the same time, in-person experiences will need to offer more meaningful engagement—gathering employees with a purpose rather than out of routine,” he states. “Companies must balance advanced AI tools that support digital collaboration with intentional, purposeful in-person experiences that foster deeper personal and professional connections.”
Jesse Murray, Senior vice president of employee experience at Rightpoint, is in alignment that companies will need to customize AI tools to enhance employee experiences. “Recent AI-driven expansion of collaboration tool options and capabilities is creating user confusion, lost productivity and lower engagement,” Murray says. “To address this trend of limitless options, companies will have to understand employees and personalize technologies accordingly, rather than employ something generic that will not stick. This includes integrating platforms with existing tools and systems.”
Deborah Hanus, CEO of Sparrow, expects that a push for return-to-work policies in 2025 goes hand-in-hand with productivity decline and leave requests. “The push for a return to office will have unintended consequences. We expect to see a rise in disability and caregiving leave requests as employees seek ways to maintain remote or hybrid work arrangements—in addition to an increase in resignations as people find ways to maintain their routines with employers who support the reality of their needs to work remotely. Organizations clinging to rigid in-office policies risk alienating their workforce and losing productivity in the process.”
A Final Wrap On Return-To-Work Policies in 2025
In a more competitive labor market than ever before, many leaders insist that it’s time for employers to value the needs of their employees and end return-to-work policies in 2025. And Hanus has a message for business leaders: “If your company is the 70% that’s pushing for RTO, don’t be surprised by a mountain of paid leave requests—or resignations,” she argues. “Remote work lets any employee with a disability, mental health concern or a dependent achieve a realistic work-life balance.”