Even in the age of flexible work, landing your dream hybrid job might not be enough to keep you safe from creeping in-office policies. Just because the job ad promised two days a week of commuting, it doesn’t mean it’ll stay that way. In fact, many employers are steadily increasing the days they’re asking their workforce to show face—but they’re doing it on the sly to not spook staff or trigger pushback.
The new phenomenon is called “the hybrid creep,” according to a recent report from Owl Labs.
According to the report, only 23% of employers have made formal changes to their remote or hybrid policies in the past year. Likewise, 73% of workers say their companies haven’t changed their remote or hybrid policies in the past year.
Yet, the number of in-person days coming down the pipeline has been stealthily increasing. The report found that today, 63% of employees are fully in-office, 9% are fully remote, and about one in four are hybrid—up from 2024.
The data shows that while most companies insist their policies are unchanged, employees are quietly being asked to show up more often. In 2024, just 32% of hybrid workers were expected in four days a week—but that’s already climbed to 34% in 2025. That is, up from about one-quarter in 2023.
Meanwhile, the share of workers commuting only once a week dropped from 7% to 5%.
The number of days workers were asked to show face 2024, according to Owl Labs
- 1 day a week: 7%
- 2 days a week: 20%
- 3 days a week: 41%
- 4 days a week: 32%
Compared to 2025
- 1 day a week: 5%
- 2 days a week: 22%
- 3 days a week: 39%
- 4 days a week: 34%
“This suggests that even without a sweeping mandate, many employees are experiencing a slow-motion return to office,” the report stated.
Navigating the new normal: Setting boundaries amid the slow return to office
As a result of the lack of formal policy change, work is increasingly blurring with personal life: Nearly 1 in 3 workers (30%) do not have a clear start and end to their workdays
59% of workers schedule personal appointments during traditional working hours, with 38% taking up to an hour and 17% taking up to 90 minutes a day outside of their lunch break.
As more days in office overlap between home and office hours without policy changes, it may be helpful to draw some new boundaries. Fineas Tatar, productivity expert and cofounder of the remote assistance services firm, Viva gave Fortune some tips.
1. Audit your calendar
“Look for recurring meetings that no longer serve a purpose and reclaim that time for strategic thinking,” Tatar said.
2. Protect transition time
“Leaders make sharper decisions when they leave space between major tasks instead of stacking commitments back-to-back,” he added.
3. Invest in role clarity
And to help your team find balance, he recommends ensuring “every direct report knows what decisions they own,” to reduce bottlenecks. Tatar says these small but impactful changes compound over time, helping both workers and executives avoid the exhaustion and inefficiency that can come with new office mandates.
It’s not just bosses who want to be in the office more
Preferences for working in-person are shifting too. It’s not just bosses: 21% of employees now want to be in the office four days a week, up from 17% last year, and a quarter say they’d prefer to be fully in-office.
The change appears to be driven by greater productivity and connection. Workers said they felt more effective when managing others, meeting new people, collaborating and being mentored. In fact, 43% say they focus better in the office, compared to about one-third who prefer working from home. Just a year ago, that split was even at 41% each. In office requirements, formal or informal have been on the rise in corporate America the last few years, such as Amazon and Microsoft.
But despite workers complying with their managers, they’re making sure it’s on their terms. For example, 43% of workers partake in “coffee badging” or going to the office for a few hours just to show their face. Though the trend has decreased from 2023 levels, 12% still want to give it a try.
