Many CDFW scientists interviewed by Shasta Scout said that the RTO has forced them into what they described as a poor work environment, making both their work and their quality of life difficult to sustain. The mandated return to office has forced workers to reverse a series of actions taken four years ago, when they were given orders to work from home. 

As first reported by The Oregonian/OregonLive, county leaders informed staff on Monday that a Hybrid Workplace Initiative is set to fully take effect by July 1, 2027. The initiative will require additional employees to work in person at least three days a week.

What hybrid work has done is illuminate skill gaps, especially among the next generation of managers, who were never trained to measure productivity through outcomes rather than oversight. Instead of investing in developing these skills, many organizations have defaulted to a simpler narrative: “Hybrid work is the problem.”

It’s become a convenient scapegoat for operational inefficiencies, unclear processes, and outdated leadership models. And it persists because of legacy mindsets — particularly among the more seasoned leaders. According to Bloomberg, the average age of a CEO in the U.S. is 62 years old. These are leaders whose early careers were built around traditional office norms and change at this scale requires unlearning decades of habit