CEOs Push Return to Office but 93% Don't Work There Full-Time

Bosses are increasingly enforcing return-to-office (RTO) mandates, often requiring employees to choose between returning to the physical workplace or leaving the company. Yet, the same leaders pushing for in-person attendance are frequently absent from the office themselves, adopting flexible or remote work arrangements. This disconnect has sparked frustration and disillusionment among staff, who feel the pressure of these policies without seeing equivalent accountability from leadership.

According to a survey by International Workplace Group (IWG) of over 500 U.K. CEOs, 93% of them do not work in the office full-time, despite a quarter claiming that an in-person return is a priority. Meanwhile, 64% of workers earning below £30,000 ($38,000) are expected to be in the office full-time. This discrepancy highlights a growing double standard, as those with higher incomes are more likely to enjoy the flexibility they advocate for lower-paid employees to forgo. The findings indicate that while bosses emphasize the importance of office-based work for collaboration and culture, they themselves benefit from the very flexibility they discourage in their teams [1].

The mandates have taken varied forms. Some companies, like Patagonia and Roblox, have explicitly told employees to relocate closer to the office or resign. Others, including Amazon, have introduced strict attendance policies, with measures such as minimum-hour obligations or badge-swipe requirements. Meanwhile, CEOs like Amazon’s Andy Jassy have warned employees that failing to comply with RTO mandates means they are likely not a good fit for the company [1]. However, despite these firm stances, few leaders are actually present in the office. Only 7% of CEOs work in the office five days a week, according to IWG, compared to 64% of lower-paid workers [1].

The inconsistency is not lost on employees. Many report feeling unfairly targeted by RTO policies, especially when leaders fail to model the behavior they demand. For instance, one Reddit user described being the only team member forced to return to the office while others worked remotely, leading to confusion and a sense of inequity [2]. Another Facebook post highlighted how non-managerial employees were contacting staff with aggressive or unprofessional demands to return to the office, suggesting that the pressure was not always coming from official leadership [3].

This leadership dissonance raises broader questions about the rationale behind RTO mandates. Employees are left to navigate unclear policies and inconsistent enforcement, often without direct input from the decision-makers. Some have turned to platforms like Ask a Manager for guidance, particularly in cases where leadership appears to take credit for team efforts while avoiding accountability for workplace conditions [5]. The growing tension between management expectations and employee experiences reflects a deeper issue in post-pandemic workplace culture.

While companies often frame in-person work as essential for collaboration and innovation, the absence of consistent leadership presence in the office undermines these claims and erodes trust. The pressure to return is especially felt by lower-paid workers, who are disproportionately impacted by the costs of commuting and relocation. This further highlights the inequity in how RTO policies are applied across different levels of an organization.

Sources:

[1] Fortune.com – https://fortune.com/2025/08/12/ceo-return-to-office-absent/

[2] Reddit – https://www.reddit.com/r/remotework/comments/1mnr9y7/im_the_only_team_member_forced_to_rto_my_fully/

[3] Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/groups/340848063408630/posts/20188****5604077/

[5] Ask a Manager – https://www.askamanager.org/2025/08/boss-takes-credit-for-our-work-firing-someone-for-issues-that-were-never-addressed-and-more.html