Hot take: Return-to-office mandates are sabotaging Gen Z careers and companies don't even realize it. While executives celebrate "return to normal," young workers are quietly updating their resumes and walking out the door. The data doesn't lie—flexibility isn't a perk anymore, it's the baseline expectation for the next generation of talent.

The Flexibility Generation

Gen Z entered the workforce during a global pandemic. Remote work wasn't a temporary experiment for us—it was our introduction to professional life. We learned to collaborate via Slack, Zoom, and asynchronous communication before we ever learned office small talk. Forcing us back into cubicles feels like asking digital natives to use dial-up internet.

According to McKinsey's workplace research, 87% of Gen Z workers would consider leaving their jobs if flexibility disappeared. That's not entitlement—that's understanding what actually drives productivity and mental health.

The Productivity Myth

CEOs love claiming that in-person collaboration sparks innovation. But let's be honest—most office time is spent in pointless meetings, commuting stress, and pretending to look busy. Studies consistently show that knowledge workers are more productive at home, with fewer interruptions and better focus time.

The real reason for RTO mandates? Commercial real estate investments and middle managers who need to justify their existence. It's not about culture or collaboration—it's about control and sunk costs.

What Gen Z Actually Wants

We don't hate offices entirely. We hate mandatory offices. We hate surveillance culture. We hate being judged by seat-warming hours instead of output quality. Give us the choice to come in when it makes sense—for workshops, brainstorming sessions, social events—and stay home when we need deep focus work.

Companies that get this are winning the war for talent. Those clinging to 2019 office culture are watching their best young employees walk to competitors who actually trust them.

The Bottom Line

Return-to-office mandates aren't about productivity—they're about power. And Gen Z sees right through it. The companies that will dominate the next decade are the ones that build systems for distributed work, not the ones trying to turn back time.

So here's the hot take: If your company is forcing RTO right now, they're not serious about attracting or keeping Gen Z talent. Period.