As 2026 sits on the horizon, the return-to-office debate clunks along. Meanwhile, global employee engagement levels fell to around two in 10 last year, according to Gallup’s 2025 State of the Global Workplace report—only the second decline in 12 years. The drop cost the world economy $438 billion in lost produ

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tivity. Many companies are closing out 2025 by rolling out hard-line return-to-office mandates; think four- or five-day office weeks. But with compliance lagging and employee satisfaction slipping, the move is sparking backlash. Big names like Paramount and JPMorgan Chase are leading the charge. Paramount, for example, told staff to return