Freddie Mac is bringing everyone back to the office. Full-time. No flexibility.
That’s the latest directive from the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), announced just days after a major leadership shake-up that saw Director Sandra Thompson removed and Clinton Jones appointed in her place. This new mandate affects thousands of employees who had been thriving under a hybrid model.
It’s a bold move—and one that says more about control and optics than performance or productivity.
Zooming Out: A Bigger Shift at Freddie Mac
The timing of this RTO decision isn’t incidental. It’s happening alongside broader changes at Freddie Mac and its sibling agency, Fannie Mae. Leadership transitions, staff cuts, and discussions about the future of the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs)—including renewed debate over potential privatization—are creating a climate of uncertainty.
In this context, the decision to mandate a full-time return to the office reads as a strategic reset. It’s less about reversing hybrid work because it wasn’t working, and more about reasserting centralized oversight as the agencies navigate what could be a significant transformation.
Put simply: it’s easier to project discipline and structure with a workforce that’s visible, contained, and predictable. That’s often the first move in any organizational reshaping.
But Hybrid Was Working
Let’s not forget: Freddie Mac’s hybrid model was delivering. Employees had flexibility. Teams collaborated well. And like many organizations post-pandemic, the company saw that work wasn’t bound to a single location.
So why undo it?
Because hybrid work signals autonomy. And in times of restructuring—especially when leadership is trying to steady the ship or prepare it for change—autonomy is often seen as a liability, not an asset.
This isn’t unique to Freddie Mac. We’ve seen similar moves in companies, like Amazon and Starbucks, undergoing leadership transitions or preparing for external scrutiny. But that doesn’t mean it’s the right move.
The Human Cost of a Full-Time Mandate
Forced returns to the office rarely land well with employees—especially after years of proving that flexibility works. When mandates come without a clear business case, trust erodes. Morale dips. And companies risk losing top talent. Look most recently at JPMorgan.
It would be no surprise if Freddie Mac employees are unsettled. And it’s no wonder. It’s a jarring shift from a modern, trust-based workplace to something far more traditional, without the data or employee feedback to back it up.
In a job market that still values flexibility, that could be costly.
What This Signals to Other Employers
For any business leader watching this unfold, the lesson is clear: decisions about where people work should be tied to outcomes, not just optics.
When RTO becomes a lever for top-down control, companies risk alienating the very people who drive performance. The workplace is no longer a location—it’s an ecosystem of collaboration, autonomy, and trust. Undermining that for the sake of consistency or image is a short-term play that rarely pays off long-term.
A now-viral video circulating shows Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte walking through an eerily empty Fannie Mae office, complete with a fully staffed cafeteria… and only 49 employees to serve. It’s the kind of footage that sparks debate: if the office is open and operational, but workers aren’t showing up, what message does that send?
Context matters, of course. Fannie Mae had been running a hybrid model, so it’s entirely possible the video was filmed on a low-attendance day. But that’s the point—hybrid work creates natural ebbs and flows. Mandating a rigid, five-day presence doesn’t magically fill the building; it just creates friction. Kadence can help you understand how your office is being utilized, so you can reduce your real estate costs, rather than mandating office work.
The video is a snapshot of a deeper tension: between the image of traditional office life and the modern reality of how work gets done.
What Forward-Thinking Companies Are Doing Instead
The most progressive companies we work with at Kadence are doubling down on flexible, hybrid work. Not because it’s trendy—but because it’s working.
They’re using data to understand how teams operate best. They’re building dynamic schedules that let people connect meaningfully in person—without the burnout of daily commutes. And they’re attracting top talent by offering what people actually want: autonomy, purpose, and balance.
These companies aren’t fighting the future of work. They’re designing for it.
Freddie Mac’s return-to-office mandate isn’t just about work—it’s about control in a time of change. Whether it’s to prepare for potential privatization, reset internal culture, or align with new leadership expectations, it marks a turning point.
But it also raises an important question for every organization: are your workplace policies driving performance—or just projecting control?
The answer will define whether your company thrives in the years ahead, or falls behind in the competition for talent and innovation.
Because at the end of the day, it’s not about being in the office five days a week—it’s about building a workplace that works. If you are considering RTO as a last resort, we’d love to connect and help you put together a winning hybrid strategy for 2025 and beyond. Get in touch today.
