(KRON) — Last year was a banner year for viral workplace trends. From “coffee badging” to “quiet promotions,” the post-pandemic workplace saw a tumultuous evolution in 2025.
As we wade into 2026, there is a new workplace trend on the horizon, one that’s apparently being embraced by bosses looking to lure workers back to the office.
The strategy is what’s known as “hybrid creep.” The idea, according to The Wall Street Journal, is “that a combination of carrots and sticks will encourage people to gradually increase their in-office time without explicitly telling them to do so.”
Owl Labs, a video conferencing company credited with coining the term, reported in September that the number of employees who are transitioning back into the office, and the number of days that they’re required to be in the office, have been steadily climbing year after year.
“This suggests that even without a sweeping mandate, many employees are experiencing a slow-motion return to office,” the company said in its “State of Hybrid Work Report” for 2025, which also found that more employees (21% compared to 17% last year) say they prefer being in the office four days a week.
One of the key tactics behind the “hybrid creep,” the WSJ says, is to tie promotions to office attendance. Along with the “carrot” of a possible promotion, bosses are reportedly using the “stick” of surveillance, in the hopes that “the specter of Big Brother will improve compliance with existing policies,” the WSJ adds.
Working in employers’ favor is a job market that’s relatively stagnant compared to the immediate post-pandemic hiring surge of a few years ago, when workers could call the shots. Now, it’s employers who are effectively in the pole position as the threat of layoffs and AI replacement looms in the background.
“We’re in a climate where people are afraid of losing their jobs,” HR consultant Jaye Johnson said, speaking to the WSJ. “So, if there’s an office nearby, I’m going to be there whether I want to or not.”
Workers are reportedly taking the cue. According to the outlet, office attendance is ticking up and work-from-home Mondays and Fridays are gradually dissolving at many workplaces. The WSJ cites figures from commercial real-estate firm JLL, which indicate that attendance rates on Mondays and Fridays are no more or less on par with Wednesdays, which have long been the most common in-office days.
Even more notable, according to WSJ, is that some people are returning to the office, not because they have to, but because they actually missed it.
Still, Owl Labs noted that employees being brought back to the office may experience “quiet cracking,” which leaves a worker feeling disconnected and unsatisfied with their employer.
If you are being encouraged to return to the office and have concerns, Peter Duris, CEO and co-founder of Kickresume, recommends speaking to your manager about what is expected of you. He also explained to Forbes that employers should opt for a formal policy change with clear expectations.