06/05/2026
Email startup Superhuman tried a return-to-office mandate — and it failed.
After employees resisted, the company pivoted to a more unusual approach: paying people to come in, offering financial incentives for office attendance rather than compelling it through policy.
It's an honest admission that mandates alone don't change behavior, and that the economics of remote work are so favorable for employees that overriding them requires real value exchange, not just directives.
The story also raises a question about what in-person work is actually supposed to accomplish — if the goal is collaboration and culture, are financial incentives the right lever, or do they just produce compliant bodies in seats?
What do you think is the most effective — and honest — way for companies to make the case for in-person work in an era where remote productivity is largely proven?
