The Washington Post recently announced that all employees will soon be required to work from an office five days per week -- and became the latest in a long line of employers to force workers to return to the office (RTO).

Indeed, several companies have recently clamped down on remote work, insisting that employees return to the office five days a week, and CEOs across industries have been vocal critics of remote work.

JPMorgan's Jamie Dimon claims that remote work stifles spontaneous idea generation and makes team management challenging. In Amazon's return to office announcement, Andy Jassy argued that in-person work facilitates more seamless learning and teaching. And former Google CEO Eric Schmidt went further, suggesting that remote work has hindered the company's AI development.

Yet, at Pinterest, our data debunks these misconceptions. Our internal analysis shows that in 2023, Pinterest's flexible work policy boosted productivity, fostered more collaboration, and enhanced well-being. And our approach has also been key in attracting a diverse pool of top talent. So while some leaders insist that remote work is stifling innovation, collaboration, and productivity, hard evidence shows the opposite.