📉 Only 7% of employees would quit over a mandatory RTO in 2026

Hey HR Pros!

Only 7% of employees say they’d quit over a mandatory return-to-office policy, down from 51% just last year. It’s a staggering shift that signals a new phase of workplace dynamics, where employee leverage is fading and compliance is becoming the norm.

Upcoming In This Issue:

• 📉 Only 7% of employees would quit over a mandatory RTO, down from 51% just last year

• 🔁 From job-hopping to job-holding: 2026’s workforce reset

• 💸 What HR leaders can learn Denmark’s not-so-secret weapon for working parents

• 🧠 Featured Podcast: The HR guide to reading any room - using emotional savvy

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📉 Only 7% of employees would quit over a mandatory RTO, down from 51% just last year

After years of worker resistance and unprecedented leverage in favor of flexibility, 2026 is shaping up to be a year of employer recalibration. The data reveals a workforce that's no longer drawing hard lines in the sand over remote work.

What does that mean for talent strategy?

Key Insights

• 🧠 Worker resistance has plummeted: Only 7% of employees would quit over a mandatory RTO, down from 51% just last year.

• 📉 Leverage is evaporating: 74% believe they’ll have the same or less bargaining power in 2026 to demand flexibility.

• 🕵️‍♂️ Surveillance tools on the rise: 73% expect expanded use of employee monitoring—keystrokes, badge-ins, and productivity analytics are becoming normalized.

• 🏢 Remote work is no longer default: 44% of workers expect at least half of U.S. companies to eliminate remote roles by end of 2026.

read the full 743-word article here

🔁 From job-hopping to job-holding: 2026’s workforce reset

Download the Workforce Trends Report by Adecoo

In 2026, workers aren’t chasing flashy perks or dramatic exits; they’re hunting for one thing: stability with a side of upward mobility.

From cautious career planning to a renewed focus on work-life balance, employees are making quiet but firm demands: keep me secure, keep me skilled, and give me room to grow.

Key Insights

• 📊 Stability trumps all: Adecco’s 2026 Workforce Trends report, based on 37,500 workers across 31 countries, found job security is now a primary driver.

• ⚙️ Agility matters, too: Professional agility is in demand—employees want clear growth paths, reskilling support, and internal mobility options.

• 🧘‍♀️ Work-life balance is non-negotiable: The majority reject the hustle culture; they want balance without sacrificing career momentum.

• 🧭 Planning beats improvising: Succession planning and career mapping are crucial—last-minute promotions won’t retain ambitious but cautious talent.

read the full 763-word article here

HR LOLs

💸 What HR leaders can learn Denmark’s not-so-secret weapon for working parents

Balancing caregiving and career isn’t just an aspiration—it’s policy in Denmark. While many countries continue to treat child care as a personal problem, Denmark has institutionalized compassion through Omsorgsdage: paid child care days that allow parents to step away from work without penalty.

For HR leaders watching burnout, attrition, and parental strain climb steadily, Denmark’s model poses a bold question: what if caring for families wasn’t a perk, but a standard?

Key Insights

• 🍼 Paid time to parent: Danish employees get 2 fully paid child care days (Omsorgsdage) per year, often with no doctor’s note required.

• 💸 Child benefits scale with age: In 2026, parents receive 5,370 DKK/quarter for ages 0–2, 4,248 DKK for ages 3–6, and 3,343 DKK for ages 7–14.

• 🏥 Hospital leave extended: New policies offer up to 12 months of paid leave per parent for hospitalized newborns.

• 🧬 Support beyond basics: IVF coverage has doubled for second children, reflecting Denmark’s investment in comprehensive family care.

read the full 799-word article here

🧠 Featured Podcast: The HR guide to reading any room - using emotional savvy

In this episode, executive coach Dina Denham Smith breaks down how HR professionals can navigate emotionally charged workplace dynamics with skill and empathy. From understanding the difference between emotional savvy and emotional intelligence, to tackling the authenticity paradox and the stigma around crying at work, Dina offers practical, research-backed insights for handling high-emotion situations.

Watch Full Video Podcast

Coming Up Next: The Talent Magnet Effect