Adam Mosseri orders five-day office return as Instagram resets work culture

Instagram will require its U.S.-based employees to return to the office five days a week starting 2 February, according to a companywide memo from CEO Adam Mosseri, first reported by Business Insider and later confirmed by the company. The mandate will not immediately apply to the platform’s New York City workforce due to space limitations, and employees already classified as remote will remain exempt.

In the memo, Mosseri said the move was intended to improve collaboration and creativity, while also signalling broader changes to the company’s internal processes. He wrote that the platform needed to move away from routine-heavy operations and reassess its meeting culture. As part of the overhaul, all recurring meetings will be cancelled every six months, with only essential ones reinstated. One-on-one meetings will shift to a biweekly default, and employees have been encouraged to decline meetings that conflict with scheduled “focus blocks.”

Mosseri also instructed teams to prioritise product prototypes over slide decks during internal reviews, arguing that prototypes provide clearer proof-of-concept and help teams understand potential user dynamics. When presentations are required, he said they should remain concise. Product review meetings, he added, should outline specific goals and purpose, emphasising that employee time should focus primarily on product development rather than meeting preparation.

Instagram’s decision places it among the few major technology companies calling for a full-time return to office. Meta, its parent company, currently mandates three days a week in-office, while other large firms, including Google and Microsoft, have reduced flexible working options without adopting a five-day requirement. Amazon earlier announced plans for a full in-office schedule starting in 2026.

Mosseri noted that the changes come as the company prepares for a challenging year ahead, saying the revised structure was intended to streamline operations in 2026.