From next February, workers at Instagram must be in the office, five days a week. This makes Meta the second tech giant after Amazon to mandate a 5-day RTO. Will more big companies do the same?

Pragmatic Engineer is a blog authored by Gergely Orosz, covering topics related to software engineering, career growth, and technology leadership. With a focus on practical advice and real-world experiences, Pragmatic Engineer offers  insights for developers and tech professionals. Developers can learn about software design principles, career advancement strategies, and industry trends through Pragmatic Engineer's articles and essays.

The Pragmatic Engineer

Meta's Instagram division mandates a 5-day return to office starting February 2025, following Amazon's similar policy from a year ago. Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri cites increased creativity and collaboration as the primary reason. The shift affects about a quarter of Meta's workforce and signals a broader trend where remote work policies increasingly reflect leadership preferences rather than data-driven decisions. In the current challenging job market, companies paying top salaries can enforce strict RTO policies with less pushback, though exceptions likely exist for high-demand roles like AI engineers. Remote work remains viable but requires significant operational effort from companies.

The Pulse: Could a 5-day RTO be around the corner for Big Tech?