Remote work became a necessity in 2020, when lockdown orders were in place across the U.S. at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing employees to skip their commute—and complete their daily to-do list from the comfort of their couch. From being able to finish that load of laundry after your morning meeting to taking your dog outside for a midday walk, you don’t need us to tell you there’s much to love about working from home.
But now, nearly six years later, most companies want everyone back in the office, much to the dismay of their workers, who have become comfortable working in their sweats and yoga pants. A recent survey released by Jones Lang LaSalle, a global commercial real estate and investment management company, found that 95% of Fortune 100 companies now require employees to adhere to a hybrid or fully in-office policy. The average weekly requirement is 3.9 days in office, a 50% increase from 2023.
Yet even amid the complaints from those who want to work from home, one generation is actually embracing a schedule that requires in-office attendance on a regular basis. While millennials and Gen X may be resisting such mandates, Gen Z is actually welcoming a shift back to in-person work.
“Gen Z professionals are showing strong interest in returning to the office,” says Chandelle Fastiggi, head of North American Vertical Strategy at ManpowerGroup. She adds that while Gen Z may be the most tech-savvy generation, enabling them to seemingly work from anywhere, they’re the least likely to want to work remotely.
Read on to understand why Gen Z is eager—and ready—to return to the office.
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Do Gen Z workers really want to go back to the office?
In a word, yes. A July Gallup poll found that Gen Z workers in the U.S. were the least likely generation to prefer completely remote work. The data showed that 71% of Gen Z employees preferred a hybrid schedule compared with an exclusively remote or on-site position. Additionally, just 23% of Gen Zers surveyed said that they would want an entirely remote role. This was significantly lower than other generations; 35% of millennials, Gen Xers and baby boomers said they preferred a job that was completely remote.
Why do Gen Z workers want to return to the office?
In seeking a return to the office, many Gen Zers welcome the chance to connect with their co-workers in person. “They see in-person work as an opportunity to build their careers, learn from experienced colleagues and challenge stereotypes about their generation,” Fastiggi says. Rather than simply staring at their co-workers via a screen on a Zoom call or messaging them through Slack, Gen Zers noted in response to a questionnaire issued by the New York Times that they wanted more feedback, mentorship and opportunities to move up—key components that they felt they weren’t getting by sitting at home on their couch.
Below, let’s take a deep dive into some of the reasons Gen Z workers are drawn to in-person work.
They feel lonely
A 2024 poll by the American Psychiatric Association found that 30% of adults between the ages of 18 and 34 reported feeling lonely every day or several times a week. Instead of spending their weekdays by themselves, more members of Gen Z want to have in-person meetings and regular interactions with their co-workers.
Fastiggi agrees with this data, noting that loneliness is one of the key factors driving the younger generation back to the office. This sentiment was also echoed in the Gallup survey; compared with other generations, Gen Zers were the most likely—at 27%— to say they felt lonely “a lot of the day yesterday.”
It’s a sentiment I’ve felt myself. As a Gen Z writer and editor, I often spend my days working alone. While I may interview some sources over the phone or meet up with a friend for the occasional coffee, working remotely can feel, frankly, pretty lonely. When I had a full-time job, being able to go into the office made a noticeable difference in my relationships with my co-workers, as well as in my mood and general demeanor.
They want mentorship opportunities
When you spend your days chatting with your co-workers through Microsoft Teams or Slack, it can be difficult to establish a productive and impactful relationship. That can be to the detriment of a Gen Z employee, as such dynamics are often key factors in promotions or advancement opportunities.
Fastiggi shares that a recent report conducted by Manpower found that Gen Z placed value on a clear career path and financial stability. “Working in the office often provides greater visibility, networking opportunities and access to mentorship, all of which support those goals,” she adds.
They’re less likely to have small children or elderly parents
Unlike millennials and Gen Xers, who may have children at home or who may be caring for their aging parents, Gen Z workers are more likely to be responsible solely for themselves. As a result, school drop-offs, sick days or medical appointments for others likely won’t be a factor in their preferred work location.
This dynamic doesn’t appear to be changing soon. A survey conducted by Capgemini found that 84% of those surveyed, ages 18 to 39, had no immediate plans to have a child.
They want structure
Whether you’re working from the couch while donning last night’s pajamas or eating a bowl of ice cream for lunch while turning your camera off for a meeting (no judgment!), it can be difficult to stay professional—and motivated—while working from home. “Many Gen Z workers also crave more face-to-face interaction and structure,” Fastiggi says. “For some, staying motivated at home is a challenge. This makes a hybrid or in-office model appealing as a way to stay engaged and connected.”
Indeed, a recent paper published by researchers at Harvard University, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the University of Virginia that examined software engineers at a Fortune 500 firm from 2019 to 2024 found that when workers sat near their teammates, coding feedback increased by 18.3%—and even improved the quality of their work.
How do other generations compare?
The youngest generation of employees is the most eager to return to the office. Whether due to the loneliness epidemic, a desire for increased mentorship or simply more structure, Gen Zers want to have in-person interactions with their co-workers.
However, that’s not the case for everyone. According to recently released Gallup data, 60% of millennials prefer hybrid schedules, compared with nearly three-quarters of Gen Z workers. Gen Xers and baby boomers were even less likely to support this type of arrangement. Fifty-six percent of Gen Xers and 54% of baby boomers said they preferred a hybrid work schedule.
However, unlike other generations, Gen Zers appear to have more flexibility when it comes to their in-office schedule, which may contribute to their embrace of in-person work. According to Gallup, 66% of Gen Z workers said that while they have a mandated number of in-office days per week, they’re able to select which days they head in. This number substantially dropped for other generations: only 28% of Boomers, 25% of Gen Xers and 27% of millennials said they had a similar arrangement.
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Sources:
- Jones Lang LaSalle: “Office Market Dynamics”
- Chandelle Fastiggi, head of NA Vertical Strategy at ManpowerGroup; email interview through PR rep (Lisa Spathis), Dec. 9, 2025
- Gallup: “Fully Remote Work Least Popular With Gen Z”
- New York Times: “Working From Home Is Harming New Employees. They’re Starting to See That.”
- American Psychiatry Association: “New APA Poll: One in Three Americans Feels Lonely Every Week”
- Manpower: “Accelerating Adaptability: 2025 Global Workforce Trends”
- Fortune: “Milestones like marriage and parenthood are so delayed for millennials and Gen Z many of them are skipping out on life insurance, report finds”
- Harvard University: “The Power of Proximity to Coworkers”
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