Stellantis and Ubisoft mandate full return-to-office across European operations
Two major European employers have announced full return-to-office mandates. Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa is requiring tens of thousands of white-collar employees across France, Italy, and Germany to return, starting with three days per week by September 2026 and rising to five days by 2027. Separately, Ubisoft has required all staff back five days a week from April 2026, replacing hybrid arrangements with a limited annual remote-day allowance. French union Solidaires Informatique organised a strike, calling the mandate a form of soft layoffs.
Why this matters
These mandates swim against the European tide. Data from CRE Daily shows European banks average 3.4 required office days versus 4.2 in North America, and only 12% of European companies offering hybrid plan to require full-time attendance. The transatlantic RTO divergence is growing, with European leaders like Standard Chartered’s Bill Winters explicitly emphasising flexibility and autonomy.
The contrast with incentive-based approaches is striking. AI startup Superhuman replaced a failed RTO mandate with tiered quarterly wellness stipends ($500 to $2,000 based on chosen office days) and saw office attendance rise 57%, with 75% of hub-based employees opting in voluntarily. Mandates generate compliance and resentment; incentives generate choice and engagement.
For remote workers weighing their options, the Stellantis and Ubisoft moves affect specific companies but do not represent a broader European trend. If anything, they highlight that companies enforcing full RTO are now newsworthy precisely because they are outliers. The latest Gallup data showing European engagement at just 12% suggests that mandates into disengaged offices are unlikely to improve outcomes.
If you are considering a move away from traditional employment toward freelancing or remote contracting, our EOR guide for Europe covers how to structure remote roles across borders, while our country-specific guides — from Spain to Croatia to Estonia — break down the practical options for building a location-independent career.