HR leaders doubt RTO mandates, feel CEO pressure: Leapsome survey
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES — A new report reveals that a majority of human resources (HR) leaders feel compelled by company leadership to implement return-to-office (RTO) mandates, despite strong doubts about their effectiveness.
According to Leapsome’s 2025 HR Insights Report, 81% of HR leaders surveyed believe that forced RTO policies are ineffective, even as 63% of U.S. HR leaders say they are under direct pressure from CEOs to enforce these mandates.
“HR teams are being pulled in every direction — but they’re not just holding things together, they’re guiding the business forward,” says Luck Dookchitra, VP People at Leapsome.
“They’re using people data to lead high-stakes conversations — and pushing back when leadership forgets what actually drives performance: trust, inclusion, and alignment.”
The survey, conducted with research agency Opinium, gathered insights from 1,000 HR decision-makers across the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the Netherlands.
Employee resistance and talent drain
The report highlights that RTO mandates remain unpopular among employees in both private companies and government agencies, with 60% of HR leaders reporting active resistance from their workforce.
At Amazon, 91% of surveyed employees expressed dissatisfaction with the company’s five-day RTO policy, and 73% said they were considering leaving as a result.
Similar trends are seen in the public sector, where tens of thousands of federal workers have accepted resignation offers following the elimination of remote work options.
Impact on inclusion and workplace culture
HR leaders warn that rigid RTO mandates can undermine diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. Over half of U.S. HR leaders report that these policies are deepening cultural divides and threatening progress on DEI initiatives. Disabled employees and caregivers are especially affected, as remote work has been a key driver of inclusion and retention for these groups.
Flexibility seen as key to collaboration
Despite the pressure to enforce RTO, 42% of HR leaders identified flexibility as the most important factor for effective collaboration, directly contradicting the rationale behind many RTO mandates.
Most HR leaders also believe that allowing employees to choose where they work improves productivity and trust—elements they say are essential for high-performing teams.
