A growing number of workers are primed to leave their jobs if their companies require them to return to office, a new report found.
According to FlexJobs’ 2025 State of the Workforce Report, 76% of American workers said they would look for a new job if they were no longer allowed to work remotely, based on a survey of 3,000 professionals in the U.S.
That’s a nearly 20% increase from last year’s report, in which 57% of workers said that they would “absolutely” look for another job if they couldn’t continue to work remotely.
And of those looking for jobs, 85% said remote work is the number one factor motivating them to apply for a job, even above salary and benefits and work-life balance.
It’s unsurprising that remote work has remained popular among American professionals, according to FlexJobs career expert Toni Frana: It offers benefits like “greater work-life balance, more flexibility and even cost savings,” she says.
Citing the survey, Frana points out that only 2% of surveyed workers prefer working in office full-time, as opposed to fully remote or hybrid.
Companies continue to push RTO mandates in an effort to “strengthen collaboration” among employees and improve visibility, Frana says, but many workers aren’t having it: 27% of employees say that they know someone who has quit or is planning to quit due to return-to-office requirements.
If your company is pursuing a return-to-office plan, Frana suggests opening a constructive conversation with your manager about what RTO would mean for your role:
“What challenges are we trying to address by returning to the office? How will success be measured? Is there any amount of flexibility that would still be offered?”
Another option could be putting together a proposal for why you should be allowed to continue working remotely, Frana says.
“I think the main thing to bring to a conversation like this is your results: any feedback that you have from clients or other co-workers, and any goals that you’ve met or exceeded,” she says.
The goal is to demonstrate to your manager that “you’ve been productive, efficient and a stellar employee” despite not working in-person, she says.
If remote work is non-negotiable for you, it may be time to look for a new job “that better meets your needs,” Frana says.
Plenty of companies offer fully remote work, Frana says, but competition can be fierce for those roles. She advises job seekers to polish up their resumes, reach out to their network and do their research on remote-friendly workplaces.
For workers committed to staying remote, it’s crucial “to be proactive in looking for the type of work environment and position that they want in the future,” she says.
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