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- The pandemic promised employees the dream — WFH freedom, flexible hours, no commutes, more family time.
- Deloitte LLP has mandated that its India-based employees return to the office at least two days a week, effective October 1, 2025.
- Non-compliance with this RTO policy will be tracked and factored into performance reviews, potentially affecting career progression and bonuses.
What is Deloitte USI?
Deloitte US-India (USI) is a key component of Deloitte’s global operations, serving as a delivery center.
With a headcount of over 100,000 employees, it provides services to Deloitte’s U.S. clients and operates across seven major cities in India:
- Hyderabad
- Mumbai
- Delhi/NCR
- Bengaluru
- Kolkata
- Pune
- Chennai
Services include:
- Consulting
- Audit
- Tax
- Financial advisory
- Risk advisory
- And other professional services
What has happened?
According to an internal memo (seen by Bloomberg), this stricter Return-to-Office (RTO) rule will apply across Deloitte USI’s seven Indian hubs.
Why are they rolling out the RTO mandate? The firm says the move is about,
- Balancing the needs of clients and business leaders
- Better performance
- Collaboration
- Career growth
Deloitte US: Already enforcing 2–3 office days in its tax practice.
Also read: Deloitte’s Romal Shetty says: India’s next biggest job creator? GCCs
Not just Deloitte
This isn’t happening in isolation. Big 4 peers and global giants are all dialing up the office mandate:
- PwC UK: 3 days a week in office/client site (from Jan 2025).
- PwC India: Flexible but client-first model.
- KPMG US: 2–3 office days per week expected.
- EY: EY’s hybrid work policy recommends 2–3 office days per week. (Each member firm decides the exact requirement based on their region’s needs.)
Many are even ditching the hybrid model
The corporate world is clearly rethinking the remote work experiment.
- JPMorgan now demands a full 5-day office presence, starting March 2025. The rationale?
- Amazon ditched its hybrid approach in January 2025, requiring employees to be back in the office 5 days a week.
- Microsoft is opting for a balanced approach: employees must work from the office at least 3 days a week, starting February 2026 for Seattle staff, before extending globally.
- AT&T rolled out a presence reporting system to track office attendance, but it quickly drew criticism for inaccuracies and employee frustration. CEO John Stankey is steering the company toward a leaner, more competitive model, moving away from the softer, family-like culture of the pandemic era toward a sharper, market-driven mindset.
Wrapping up
Deloitte USI’s move signals that India isn’t an exception: the world’s biggest firms want their offshore hubs to mirror global rules.
While some may see it as a setback, others argue it helps maintain team synergy and client engagement.
One thing is certain: The hybrid work model is evolving fast, and the firms that master the right balance will likely emerge as winners.
