Art Imitates Life? RTO Mandates Spark Office Romance In Upcoming Hallmark Movie

Return-to-office mandates have become so widespread, they’re now taking center stage in a made-for-television rom-com, set for release in time for Valentine's Day weekend.

Against the backdrop of stepped-up RTO mandates and evidence that office attendance is hitting highs not seen since before the pandemic, Hallmark Channel is releasing Return To Office, set to air Feb. 15.

The movie centers on two coworkers, Ms. Monday and Mr. Tuesday, as they navigate the transition from a hybrid work schedule back to in-person work. What begins as casual notes exchanged between two coworkers sparks an office romance.

Return To Office will feature Pretty Little Liars’ Janel Parrish and The River’s Scott Michael Foster and is part of Hallmark's “Loveuary 2025” celebration.

The movie is likely to please office landlords, dropping amid a slew of RTO mandates both in the private sector and from the federal government.

Hours after being sworn into office last month, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing agency and department heads to terminate remote work arrangements and requiring federal employees to work in-person full-time.

That mandate followed those of big companies like e-commerce giant Amazon, which announced its full-time on-site policy for 2025 in September. Amazon has since delayed the start of its new mandate in at least seven cities because it didn’t have enough space to accommodate them all at once.

But companies from telecommunications giant AT&T to fast-casual salad chain Sweetgreen have since joined the back-to-the-office fray. Out of 764 companies, 87% said they expected a full return to the office by sometime this year, according to an August report by Resume Builder.

Numbers from keycard operator Kastle Systems suggest mandates are having an impact. Weekly average occupancy in offices across the nation hit 54.2% of prepandemic foot traffic levels last week, an all-time high.

But while office owners cheer and Hallmark aims to give “office collaboration” a whole new meaning, workers themselves are significantly less bullish about recent developments.

Among employees with the ability to work from home, 75% said they currently work remotely at least some of the time, according to a January report by Pew Research Center. Of those, about 46% would consider quitting their jobs if told to return in person full-time. Twenty-six percent classified themselves as “very unlikely to stay” if ordered back to the office five days a week.