The Great Compliance: Only 7% Of U.S. Workers Would Quit Over Mandatory RTO, Down From 51% Last Year

A year ago, half of U.S. workers said they would quit rather than accept a mandatory return-to-office (RTO) policy. Today, that figure has collapsed to just 7%, signaling a dramatic transition in workplace power. 

According to a MyPerfectResume survey of 1,000 American workers, employees are now bracing for a workplace where on-site attendance, stricter oversight, and reduced bargaining power define the new norm. Remote work, once seen as a given, is increasingly viewed as a privilege employees must protect.

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Employee Resistance Collapses

The survey shows a sharp decline in worker pushback against RTO mandates. When faced with non-negotiable policies, only 7% of employees say they would quit outright. A third (33%) say they would look for another remote job, while 36% plan to comply. In January 2025, 91% of workers indicated they would either quit (51%) or seek a remote alternative (40%).

Economic anxiety is driving this; what was previously considered a deal-breaker is now a calculated decision rooted in job security rather than preference.

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Productivity, Not Culture, Drives RTO

Workers largely reject the narrative that RTO is about collaboration or team culture. Instead, they point to economic reasons as the primary motivators:

• Productivity concerns: 48%
  
• Leadership preference: 18%
  
• Real-estate cost justification: 11%
  
• Quiet headcount reduction: 11%
  
• Culture concerns: 9%
  

Workers also expect companies to claim measurable benefits from RTO: higher productivity (38%), better collaboration (22%), easier management (19%), stronger culture (13%), and improved customer service (7%).

A Harder Workplace Looms in 2026

Employees anticipate a tougher year ahead. Nearly half (43%) expect more on-site work, while 40% predict hybrid arrangements will dominate. Only 17% foresee an increase in fully remote roles. Workers also expect on-site employees to be favored for pay and promotions (40%), and 44% believe half of U.S. companies will eliminate remote work entirely.

Bargaining power is expected to decline: 74% of employees predict they will have the same or less ability to demand flexibility in 2026 than in 2025.

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Remote Work Is Now a Privilege

The survey makes it clear: the era of worker leverage has ended. Remote work is no longer an assumed right; it is a negotiated benefit that fewer employees feel empowered to defend. Companies are reclaiming authority over where and how employees work, and the workforce is adapting to these expectations.

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