Kroger Ends Hybrid Work, Mandates Full-Time RTO

Kroger is ending its hybrid work model and will require all remote employees to return to the office five days per week, starting January 2026.

The policy change was reported by Supermarket News on November 21, 2025, and applies to employees currently working under hybrid arrangements.

“As we’ve worked to simplify how we operate and strengthen support for our store teams, we’ve seen that in-person collaboration helps us move faster, solve problems more quickly, and better align on priorities,” said Tim Massa, executive vice president at Kroger.

Policy Shift Timeline

• February 2024: Kroger adopted a hybrid schedule, requiring remote employees to work 3–4 days per week in the office.
• January 2026: The new policy goes into effect, requiring all previously remote workers to return full-time.

Context & Recent Developments

This return-to-office mandate follows a year of organizational restructuring at Kroger:

• February 2025: The company cut up to 200 corporate staff in February and followed with another round of layoffs in March.

• August 2025: Kroger laid off ~1,000 corporate administrative employees.

• The company says cost savings from these actions will be reinvested into lower prices, new store growth, and store-level jobs.

View All Return To Office Plans For The Fortune 500

Every month, we update the return-to-office policies of every Fortune 500 company. You can download the Fortune 500 RTO spreadsheet below.