RTO Is Here
And We Couldn’t Be Happier
If you read business news, you’ll know that 2026 is shaping up to be the year for return-to-office (RTO) policies. Big names like WPP, Primark, Microsoft, and even Manchester United are bringing people back to the office.
That’s great news for office fitout companies. More people in offices means rising demand for bespoke office spaces.
It’s also good news for employees. RTO policies based on consultation, surveys, and data can actively fight isolation without losing the flexibility we’ve all come to value.
We are, we’ll admit it, pro RTO. But with a big asterisk.
We support responsible RTO mandates. Mandates grounded in what people need to do their best work in office space that works around them.
The Real Problem With Most RTO Mandates
Time and again, we’ve seen RTO decisions made too quickly, communicated too bluntly, and implemented without enough data on how work actually gets done.
Attendance is tied to productivity. Presence is confused with performance.
Inevitably, those policies end up in the headlines for the wrong reasons.
Meanwhile, RTO policies designed using good data and finessed with feedback tend to roll along quietly. You don’t hear about them because people aren’t resigning en masse or venting on social media.
Return-to-office failures aren’t proof that offices don’t work. They’re proof that poorly executed policies don’t work.
From communication strategy to data collection to the fitout company you partner with, a good RTO policy is more than a memo from management. There are a lot of moving parts.
Finding the Middle Ground on RTO Mandates
There’s plenty of evidence that rigid top-down policies lead to higher turnover, disengagement, and sometimes public backlash.
But it’s also worth saying that most employees aren’t asking to be fully remote.
Gallup’s data shows that hybrid work is the preferred model across every generation of worker. Fully remote is the second preference, with fully in-office a distant third.
People of all ages still value the connections they can only get in person.
And right now, those connections matter.
Whether it’s feelings of social isolation, disconnection from company culture, or the fact that an economy ‘stuck in low gear’ has seen youth unemployment rise faster in the UK than in any other G7 country, employees have good reasons to feel uneasy.
Uniform, like-it-or-leave mandates only add to this pressure. But a well-designed, well-implemented policy can do a lot to boost employee engagement and productivity while optimising real estate costs.
This also applies to physical workspace choices. Creating spaces that people want to work in means:
- Understanding how work actually happens
- Consulting and collaborating with employees in the design phase
- Making workplaces accessible and inclusive
- Building in flexibility for different working models
- Recognising that younger generations (Gen Z and Gen Alpha) might be new to in-office work
One big challenge we see among companies returning to the office is updating their workspaces to meet all these criteria. They recognise the need, but don’t know how to take the next steps.
That’s why we’re committed to helping occupiers and landlords find office fitout companies that can deliver innovative, built-for-people workspaces.
RTO Lessons From the Market
Paramount Checks In On Returning Employees
After asking staff to return to US offices five days a week, Paramount sent employees a detailed survey asking how the return was actually landing.
The questions covered everything from desk setup and tech reliability to meeting spaces, food options, and proximity to colleagues. There was also space for open-ended comments.
That information should give some very useful insights that will allow for adjustment before Paramount’s RTO policy rolls out in the UK.
Primark’s Tested-and-Tailored RTO Policy
Primark’s data-driven process is an example of smart policy design.
The company tested different working models and collected a lot of data. The conclusion was clear: for commercial teams, in-person work was more efficient.
That led to a four-day-a-week office expectation, with flexibility around the fifth day and room for managers to make the best decisions for their people.
John Lewis’ RTO Turnaround
As part of a wider turnaround plan, John Lewis adjusted its RTO policy in 2025. Commercial team members are now expected to be in the office or with clients at least three days per week.
Management wanted the team together more, since the business had hired around 50 new people.
Still, it’s unlikely we’ll see a full-time RTO mandate. John Lewis has just downsized from a 220,000 sq ft office in Victoria to 108,000 sq ft in Pimlico, indicating they don’t plan on abandoning hybrid work any time soon.
Microsoft Crunches the Numbers
As you might expect, Microsoft has a lot of data backing up its recent decision to recall staff three days per week.
In a statement, the company’s Chief People Officer said they’d “looked at how our teams work best, and the data is clear: when people work together in person more often, they thrive – they are more energised, empowered, and they deliver stronger results.”
Importantly, Microsoft hasn’t framed this as removing flexibility. Instead, it’s focused on making in-person time more intentional while still allowing teams to shape schedules that work for them.
Starling’s “Hybrid Cutback” Doesn’t Cut It
After Starling tightened its RTO requirements, the bank’s employees were quick to complain. Many reportedly resigned over the decision. Some even called the office “a bland grey corporate hellscape”.
The issue wasn’t asking people to come in. It was failing to make the policy fit for purpose.
A lack of workspaces and meeting rooms, a rushed announcement, and a lack of consultation all contributed to the sour reception.
Take this as a cautionary tale. When workplace strategy doesn’t keep pace with policy, people are ready to walk.
WPP Doesn’t Quite Meet the Brief
WPP introduced a four-day-a-week RTO mandate. Leadership leaned on internal data linking office attendance with stronger engagement, client satisfaction, and financial performance.
The data may well have been valid. We can’t know for sure.
But we do know that the rollout triggered backlash. UK employees raised concerns about whether offices were set up to accommodate everyone, both in terms of having enough space and the right facilities for a diverse workforce.
Data matters. So does company performance. But neither should override communication, trust, or employee well-being.
What Data-Led RTO Actually Looks Like
When RTO works, it’s rarely because of a headline mandate. It’s because of the groundwork underneath it.
Collecting the information you need might take months. Once the policy is implemented, it’s also critical to monitor the impact on performance, productivity, engagement, and client satisfaction.
Data You Need
Any policy should be based on workplace surveys, utilisation studies, and productivity metrics.
In particular, you want to know:
- How different roles and teams work day to day
- How (and how often) space is actually used
- Which tasks benefit from being done together
- What people need to feel comfortable at work
This means your policy is built around real people, not job titles on paper.
Commercial Benefits
Good data leads to better decisions:
- Smarter office sizing
- Less wasted space
- Fewer rushed lease commitments
- Better workspace design
In many cases, this reduces rent, build, and fit-out costs. Just ask John Lewis how much they’ve saved by downsizing.
RTO Can Work For Everyone
When people’s presence at work is intentional, the office goes from being an obligation to a strategic asset.
It becomes a place of learning, collaboration, and inspiration. Not just somewhere to punch the clock.
RTO is here. The organisations that win will be the ones who measure first, mandate second, and make spaces that people feel good working in.
In practice, that means consulting and collaborating with affected teams, finding office fitout companies that are committed to your vision, and assessing RTO success against employee engagement rather than attendance.
NOS Is Here For RTO – In More Ways Than One
As the world reflects on the “remote work experiment”, NOS is championing responsible RTO mandates.
By connecting occupants and landlords with the right suppliers – whether it’s an office fitout company, furniture supplier, or workplace strategist – we’re making it easier to create fit-for-purpose workspaces.
Because the office is where great work gets done together. And that depends on workspaces built for real people.
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