Another big employer is dragging workers back to the office five days a week.
Starting in September, employees of Fidelity Investments are required to work onsite Monday through Friday. This mandate applies to workers reporting to the company’s Boston headquarters and offices located in Merrimack, N.H., in addition to Kentucky and New Mexico, according to a report by The Boston Globe.
It’s a far departure from the company’s current hybrid policy, which requires employees to work in the office for 10 days each month, preferably as whole workweeks.
The company’s reasoning for the new RTO mandate echoes some of the tamer opinions of another financial giant, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon. Like Dimon, Fidelity is concerned remote work deprives employees, especially younger generations, of valuable networking and learning opportunities. The Globe also noted that since Fidelity is keeping its old headquarters while opening a new building, requiring employees to come back will help drive local commerce.
“Fidelity’s belief is that being physically together creates more opportunities for a meaningful associate experience filled with connection, mentorship, and learning—elements that are central to our long-term success,” a company spokesperson told the newspaper in an email.
Full RTO mandates are not popular with workers of any generation. Gallup conducted a study in 2025 asking workers if they’d like to return to working in an office five days a week. Of those who said “yes,” six percent were Gen Z, four percent millennials, 9 percent of Gen X, and 10 percent of Gen Z. The youngest generation in the workforce overwhelmingly prefers the hybrid style of work (71 percent).
However, in a tough job market that’s still plagued by AI-linked layoffs, most employees would rather comply than risk losing their job. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows in March, the most recent figures available, that 1.8 million U.S. workers were still facing long-term unemployment (defined as more than 26 weeks).
While Fidelity certainly isn’t the first major employer to demand a full return-to-office—Amazon, AT&T, Goldman Sachs are just a few examples—it’s rare for companies led by a woman to crack down on remote work. Fidelity’s CEO and Chairman is Abigail Johnson, the granddaughter of the company’s founder and a billionaire businesswoman. She did not comment directly on the company’s RTO policy.
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