Despite ongoing debates about returning to the office, most workers report little change in their company's policies, according to FlexJobs' 2026 Remote Work Report. In fact, more than three-quarters (76%) of employees say their current or most recent employer has not increased in-office attendance requirements. However, 30 percent of workers also indicated nothing would convince them to return to the office full time.
The report from the work-from-home jobs platform is based on more than 4,450 responses to a February 2026 survey intended to help researchers better understand how remote work preferences, return-to-office (RTO) mandates, and workplace well-being are evolving.
"Even though we've seen RTO efforts and some high-profile remote work rollbacks, most workers say they haven't been brought back into the office full time," said Toni Frana, career expert manager at FlexJobs. "While it's certainly not the case for everyone, it's a clear signal that employers are aligning with workers' persistent preference for job flexibility, as remote and hybrid work continue to remain a competitive advantage in attracting and retaining talent."
Here are key highlights of the report:
- Remote work is preferred. In FlexJobs' survey, 58 percent of respondents said a fully remote job represents their "ideal" work style, highlighting how strongly many professionals value location independence. By contrast, just 4 percent of respondents said they want to be in the office full time, and 38 percent noted they prefer a hybrid model with both remote and in-office work.
- Four-day workweek tops list of RTO incentives. When asked which perks would persuade them to return to the office full time, 30 percent of workers pointed to a four-day workweek, while 18 percent would like a raise of 15 percent or more, and 12 percent of respondents are looking for unlimited paid time off. Other desired incentives include travel reimbursement, child care reimbursement, student loan assistance, and free lunch.
- Workers prefer that companies set remote-work policies. Most respondents believe remote-work policies should remain largely in the hands of employers rather than regulators. Nearly three-quarters (74%) said companies should decide their own remote-work policies, another quarter (25%) said companies should decide with the help of government guidelines, and just 1 percent said governments should regulate remote work policies.
- Remote work is linked to higher productivity for many workers. The majority of survey respondents reported that remote work either improves or maintains their productivity levels, with 53 percent indicating they are much more productive working remotely than in the office, 12 percent saying they are somewhat more productive when working remotely, 31 percent saying they are equally productive at home and in the office, and only 4 percent noting that they are somewhat or much less productive when working remotely.
- Nearly half of workers experience regular workday stress. Workplace stress remains a notable issue regardless of work environment, as more than half (55%) of respondents said they "almost always" or "occasionally" feel stressed during the typical workday—highlighting ongoing mental health considerations across the workforce. An additional 23 percent said they are stressed "often" (10%) or "about half of the time" (13%). Only 22 percent said they almost never feel stressed at work. At the same time, the vast majority of workers said fully remote work (47%) or mostly remote work (31%) is the work arrangement best for their mental health.
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From: BenefitsPRO
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