Something I learned recently is that a big reason banks want people back in the office has less to do with culture and more to do with money. Cities and states give companies tax breaks or abatements if they keep a certain number of jobs physically located in offices. If too many people are remote , the company risks losing those incentives, facing higher taxes in multiple places, or even having an abatement revoked if they don’t meet the headcount requirement.
I’m not saying I agree with it. I’m just the messenger here.
Local governments also want people in offices because it fuels the economy—restaurants, transit, parking, all of it. When offices are empty, that revenue drops, and the city is less willing to hand out big tax breaks.
So a lot of the return-to-office push is really tied to protecting tax agreements and the economic impact that comes from offices being filled.