Nearly One in Five Managers Have Lost Multiple Team Members Due to RTO Mandates, New Data Reveals

One year after return-to-office (RTO) mandates swept corporate America, new research reveals that managers are still dealing with the aftermath, from employee resignations, in-office productivity losses, and an increasingly challenging talent pool.

TopResume surveyed 600 U.S. managers to understand the impact of RTO mandates and how they have reshaped team dynamics, talent retention, and workplace culture, one year later.

Employee Pushback Shows No Sign of Slowing

For many organizations, the resistance to RTO mandates hasn’t softened with time. The data revealed that nearly one in five managers (19.5%) say multiple employees either threatened to leave or ultimately resigned following the introduction of RTO requirements. Additionally, another 19.3% reported receiving formal complaints or structured pushback, while 17.8% describe ongoing vocal opposition among team members.

Only 12.5% of U.S. managers reported no significant resistance to RTO mandates, and just 6.17% say their teams were genuinely supportive of the shift, highlighting that acceptance remains limited across many workplaces, even one year later. 

RTO Is Creating a Growing Talent Crisis

The new research points to a growing retention and recruitment problem tied directly to RTO mandates, even a year on. A quarter of managers (25%) say that they have lost team members within the last six months alone, while another 23.8% report losses within the last year. Another tenth (10%) of managers say that they have lost team members over a year ago. Only around one-third (30.3%) say they haven’t lost any employees linked to the policy.

Recruitment is proving to be equally as difficult for managers. More than a third of managers (37.3%) say RTO has made hiring harder, including 9.2% who say that it is much harder. 

In-Office Distractions Are Ruining Productivity

For onsite workers, the promise of in-person collaboration is being undermined by day-to-day office disruptions. A third of managers (31.2%) say their teams experience frequent interruptions two to three times per week, while 14.5% report disruptions occurring almost daily.

The cost is significant. More than a quarter of managers (25.7%) estimate that between three and five hours of productivity are lost each week to noise, off-topic conversations, and other unplanned office-based interruptions. An additional 15.7% put that figure as high as 15 hours, and 7.5% report productivity losses exceeding 16 hours per week.

Office Visibility Is Beating Performance for Career Progression

Beyond productivity, RTO mandates have also quietly reshaped how career advancement is perceived. Two in five managers (40%) believe office visibility definitely influences career growth more than actual performance, with an additional 43% saying that it sometimes does. Only 15.5% feel performance outweighs visibility in career advancement decisions.

This leads to an increase of “task-masking” or the performance of business over genuine productivity in the workplace. The data found that nearly half of managers (47%) say that they have occasionally observed employees appearing busy rather than actually doing work, and another 23.8% witness it frequently.

The Structural Barriers Behind the Resistance

Managers highlighted the real reasons employees are continuing to push back on RTO mandates. Nearly half (49.3%) say their teams simply prefer the flexibility of remote work, while rising commuting costs (36.3%), perceived productivity disadvantages (34.33%), long commute times (34.17%), and caregiving responsibilities (33.3%) also remain significant obstacles for employees.

According to Amanda Augustine, resident career expert for TopResume and a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC):

“Return-to-office policies are no longer just about where work happens; they’re shaping whether people stay. The commute, the cost, and the time away from family are real trade-offs for employees, and mandates alone won’t overcome that.

If organizations want employees onsite, they need to make the experience worth it. That means investing in meaningful mentorship, in-person learning and development, active employee resource groups, and creating visible pathways for growth. It can also mean offering practical support, like commuting stipends or flexible start and end times to ease the transition.

Without that added value, companies may secure attendance, but lose engagement … and potentially their top talent.”

---

Campaign methodology: This survey was commissioned by TopResume and conducted using Pollfish on January 30, 2026. Overall, 600 U.S. workers aged 18+ in managerial positions completed the survey. 

TopResume is a career.io brand. It’s the world’s premier resume-writing service and improves millions of resumes and LinkedIn profiles every year. It enhances job seekers’ chances of interviews and promotion by leveraging the expertise of professional writers with specific expertise. It offers tailored resumes, cover letters, and LinkedIn makeovers that showcase each individual’s unique skills and experience. When customers use one of TopResume’s services, they now unlock 18 powerful tools to help them get hired and promoted faster. Follow TopResume on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, and Instagram.

Amanda Augustine is the resident career expert for career.io, a Careerminds company, and its suite of brands:  resume.io, TopResume, TopCV, TopInterview, Resume.ai, and others. As a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC) and a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW), she has spent more than 20 years helping professionals improve their careers and land the right job sooner. Connect with Amanda on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and Facebook.