Techradar Pro

A survey of 1,000 U.S. workers subject to new or stricter return-to-office policies found that 72% suspect such mandates may be intended to drive stealth layoffs through attrition. Nearly half reported “coffee badging,” while 32% said they had intentionally reduced their output. Younger workers expressed substantially less trust in employers’ motives than older workers, and many respondents had used office time to apply for jobs or start side businesses. The findings suggest that rigid RTO policies may create a two-tier workforce, damage retention and productivity, and encourage employees to disengage rather than improve collaboration.