For the first time since the pandemic reshaped global work culture, a majority of Fortune 100 companies have brought employees fully back to the office, according to a new report by real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL).
Hybrid work models — once offered by 78% of the top 100 U.S. companies by revenue — have dropped sharply and are now available at just 41% of those firms.
Meanwhile, the number of companies requiring full-time office attendance has surged to 54%, up from only 5% two years ago.
This shift is having a major impact on the commercial real estate landscape. Office attendance in April and May rose 1.3% compared to the same period last year.
High-end office buildings are benefiting the most — “trophy” properties in cities like Miami, New York, and San Francisco are fetching record rents.
Newly constructed buildings are now asking an average of $92.38 per square foot — the highest ever recorded.
However, vacancy rates remain high at over 22%, leading many developers to remove older office properties from the market.
In the most recent quarter, the national office inventory shrank by 700,000 square feet as demolitions and conversions to residential, industrial, or mixed-use spaces outpaced new construction.
The renewed in-office presence is also helping companies justify the high costs of premium office leases.
Among the ten largest Fortune 100 firms, seven now require employees to work on-site at least four days a week, and the remaining three mandate full-time in-office attendance.
On average, employees at Fortune 100 companies were expected to be in the office 3.8 days per week in Q2 2025 — up from 2.6 days in Q2 2023.
Several corporate giants have recently tightened their return-to-office policies. Amazon began moving toward full in-office work in 2024.
JPMorgan Chase ended its hybrid work program in January.
Starbucks announced that corporate staff must work from the office four days a week starting September 29 and that remote managers must relocate to Seattle or Toronto within a year — or accept a one-time cash exit package.
While some companies have faced space shortages as employees return en masse, the broader message is clear: the era of hybrid work as the standard is fading.
Companies are reasserting control over work locations, and this time, the return-to-office push appears firm and lasting.
