To Örebro University

In the postpandemic era, attitudes toward remote work appeared to undergo a lasting transformation, with a high degree of location flexibility becoming increasingly common. Yet, in recent years, many organizations have introduced return-to-office (RTO) initiatives aimed at re-establishing traditional workplace dynamics and prioritizing in-person collaboration. These mandates have drawn significant attention and criticism for limiting software developers flexibility, diminishing well-being, and potentially impacting women disproportionally. This study seeks to understand software developers preferences and actual work behaviors in companies that promote in-office presence. Specifically, we investigate whether certain demographic groups, including women, are differentially affected by RTO initiatives. We also explore a range of factors that may influence individual preferences for remote or on-site work, beyond gender-based assumptions. We report findings from a survey conducted in two large Scandinavian companies engaged in the development of software-intensive systems and services. Data analysis includes descriptive statistics, contingency tables along with post hoc tests, chi-square test of association, and Cram & eacute;r's for effect sizes. Our findings reveal that gender differences among software developers in both industrial cases are minimal and statistically insignificant. Instead, other variables-such as the degree of collaborative work, commute time, and responsibility to support teammates-demonstrate a stronger association with both actual and preferred office attendance. Our results challenge common narratives around gendered responses to RTO mandates, suggesting that other contextual and task-related factors may play a more decisive role. While the impact of RTO initiatives should not be dismissed, our findings indicate that a deeper understanding of work dynamics-particularly around collaboration intensity and commuting burden-is essential to designing equitable and effective work policies. Finally, our findings imply that organizational recommendations for work location must go hand in hand with task design.