Many companies are aggressively pushing for employees to return to the office, with 90 percent planning to implement return-to-office policies by the end of 2024 and nearly 30 percent even considering firing employees who resist in-office requirements, according to a survey by Resume Builder. This trend is driven by a belief among some CEOs that productivity, collaboration, and employee engagement suffer without the office. However, despite stricter in-office requirements, office occupancy rates have not seen a significant increase. During the first week of September, the average office occupancy in the top 10 US cities was only at 47.3 percent of pre-pandemic levels. CEOs justify their stance with the belief that workers are more productive in the office, but research has failed to draw definitive conclusions on remote workers’ productivity. Employee productivity in the US rose in 2020 and 2021 before falling in 2022 but saw an increase again in 2023. While some industries like tech, financial services, and retail may continue pushing for a full return to the office, many organizations will likely adopt a more structured hybrid work arrangement, requiring employees to come in on specific days. Most employees prefer hybrid work arrangements, and offering flexibility is seen as a smart recruiting tactic in a competitive job market.