Mumbai: Global advertising giant WPP has implemented a significant return-to-office (RTO) policy for its 114,000 employees worldwide, mandating in-office attendance four days a week starting in April. This shift marks a stark departure from the hybrid arrangements that allowed some staff to work from the office as little as one day a week.
“I believe that we do our best work when we are together in person,” wrote WPP CEO Mark Read in a memo sent to employees on Tuesday.
WPP, which owns prominent creative agencies like Ogilvy and GroupM, stated that the policy applies across all agencies, excluding staff with existing remote work contracts. While Read acknowledged the need for flexibility in specific cases—such as caring responsibilities or health issues—such arrangements will now require formal requests. To ease the transition, employees can seek assistance from an AI-powered chat agent for any queries related to the RTO shift.
“This doesn’t mean we’re going back to old ways of doing things,” Read noted, underscoring that individual circumstances would be considered.
WPP’s move aligns with a broader corporate pushback against remote work. In 2024, companies like Amazon, Boots, BT, and Santander tightened their office attendance requirements, signaling a steady decline in pandemic-era workplace flexibility. Amazon’s five-day office mandate, for instance, prompted backlash and “rage-applying” by employees.
Critics of remote work have also voiced concerns about its impact on career growth, particularly for women. Debbie Crosbie of Nationwide Building Society suggested that remote work could disadvantage women professionally.
As the shift toward office-based work accelerates in 2025, organizations are attempting to strike a balance between fostering employee satisfaction and maintaining productivity through in-person collaboration. “The mood music is changing,” said Jennie Rogerson, global head of people at Canva, emphasizing the challenges of reconciling workplace flexibility with business goals.
WPP’s decision places it firmly among the growing list of companies prioritizing in-office collaboration, with implications for the global conversation about the future of work.
