Return-to-office mandates and workplace inequality: Implications for industrial-organizational psychology

Abstract This paper explores the impact of return-to-office (RTO) mandates on workplace inequality, particularly within the context of recent shifts in federal policies. The rapid adoption of remote and hybrid work, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, offered significant benefits in terms of flexibility and work-life balance. However, recent regulatory changes, including RTO mandates, threaten to reverse these gains, disproportionately affecting women, caregivers, employees with disabilities, and low-wage workers. This paper critically examines the equity implications of RTO mandates and offers recommendations for industrial-organizational psychologists, organizational leaders, and policymakers to develop equitable, evidence-based approaches to remote and hybrid work that promote employee well-being and organizational effectiveness.