Six years after COVID-19 transformed the workplace, employers are increasing office-attendance requirements even as hybrid work remains the most common arrangement for remote-capable U.S. employees.
Six years after the pandemic changed how Americans work companies are moving back toward traditional office environments. The sudden shift forced many white-collar workers to adapt to remote work almost overnight. As health risks decreased businesses began adjusting their policies on where employees should work.
Some organizations introduced hybrid schedules that mix in-office and remote days. Other firms tightened their rules to require more time spent at the office. A few companies concluded that remote work was no longer a viable long-term option.
PNC Bank made headlines when it announced all employees must return to the office five days a week according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. CEO Bill Demchak stated that in-office work was part of the bank’s culture and operations. The requirement took effect in May 2026.
The decision by PNC was not unique as many companies reevaluated their approach to remote work. First National Bank began bringing employees back into the office in stages starting in 2021. Meghan Barr, a communications officer at FNB, said the company returned to full-time in-office work as conditions improved.
She added that the bank believes there is value in bringing teams together physically. Before the pandemic most workers accepted a five-day in-person work week and long commutes. After the pandemic many employees proved they could do their jobs effectively from home.
Hybrid work remains common in 2026 especially among large organizations with remote-capable employees.
CBRE reported in July that 89% of employers in its 2026 Americas Office Occupier Sentiment Survey require workers to spend at least three days a week in the office. That was up from 78% in 2025. Actual attendance averaged 2.9 days a week even as employers pushed for more time on-site.
Gallup data from May 2026 shows that 52% of U.S. employees with remote-capable jobs work under hybrid arrangements. Another 26% work exclusively from home while 22% work fully on-site. Gallup says those percentages have been relatively stable since 2022.
Some workers prefer clear boundaries between work and personal time while others blend the two throughout the day. Though remote work has not disappeared since the pandemic it still exists in many firms. For some companies working remotely was never a pandemic response but a regular way of doing business.
Carnegie Learning is one such example with employees across the U.S. and Canada. Justin Netz Roth is senior vice president of people at Carnegie Learning and said the company built its workplace around flexibility. The company maintains offices and encourages employees to meet in person when collaboration adds value.
However there is no set schedule requiring employees to be at the office. There are no signs that Carnegie Learning plans to move away from its remote-friendly approach.
Roth said the company will continue evaluating workplace practices based on what works best for employees and business goals.
He added that the company does not expect to shift away from its remote philosophy. The broader trend shows that companies are asking employees to spend more time together without eliminating remote work across the economy.
IMAGE: Skyscrapers in downtown Philadelphia.. Photo: Kevin Burkett from Philadelphia, Pa., USA / Wikimedia, taken 2008-06-01, CC BY-SA 2.0