One morning, an email pops up in the company inbox stating, "Starting next month, all employees must return to the office five days a week." For someone who has been working remotely for years, this feels like a bolt from the blue.

However, these days, many people are receiving such emails. Looking at U.S. companies as a whole, about one-third have completely eliminated remote work and reverted to full in-office attendance.

But does that mean the rest are fully accommodating remote work? Not quite. Most of the remaining companies are shifting to hybrid models, with three days in the office becoming the most common arrangement.

One common misconception is that being hybrid means there will be leniency. However, many companies are now actively monitoring attendance.

Companies that track attendance through badge tag records or Wi-Fi connection logs have noticeably increased. The days of simply having a policy in place without enforcement are over.

So, can you just hold out and say, "I can't go back unless it's remote"? The recent climate is quite different from before. A survey from early last year showed that more than half of employees would quit if forced to return to the office, but by the end of the year, that percentage had dropped to single digits.

This means the old adage that holding out will lead to victory no longer applies. Labor market experts are even saying that workers are losing their negotiating power and are becoming more compliant.

So what should you do? Before getting angry, the first step is to assess how many cards you actually have to play.

The first card is negotiation. Just because the company announced a return to the office for all employees doesn't mean there are no exceptions. There are employees who quietly get approval to work from home on certain days based on their performance records.

When negotiating, it's more effective to present recent performance metrics or compliance rates rather than just vaguely stating that you want to continue working remotely. Managers are often hesitant to approve exceptions without solid reasoning.

The second card is to use health or disability-related reasons if applicable. According to guidelines released by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission earlier this year, even if there is a company-wide return-to-office policy, they cannot automatically deny a remote work request from an employee with a disability.

Instead, the company must engage in a discussion to find alternatives with the employee. Of course, simply wanting to work from home for convenience does not qualify; you need to have documentation like a doctor's note or medical opinion to use this card.

The third option is to simply quit, but this should be approached with caution. If you don't show up for work when the company requires it, you are likely to lose your eligibility for unemployment benefits.

However, there are exceptions. If it is recognized that the working conditions have significantly changed from the original contract, you may be eligible for unemployment benefits even if you resign voluntarily. But this typically applies to significant changes in salary or job duties, making it difficult to claim based solely on commuting issues. Additionally, this determination is made on a state-by-state basis.

So, before emotionally throwing in your resignation, it's wise to check with your state's labor department to see if your situation qualifies for unemployment benefits. Skipping this step could leave you with no income and no eligibility, the worst possible combination.

The fourth card is to start preparing for a job change in advance. Surveys show that more than half of job seekers prioritize hybrid work as a top condition, so there are indeed places for those who want to maintain remote work.

If it were me, I would follow these four steps in order: first, probe whether negotiation is possible; if not, check for health-related grounds; if that doesn't work, confirm unemployment eligibility before considering quitting, and then explore the job market.

Stubbornly holding out could lead to being fired, resulting in losing both unemployment benefits and time to prepare for a job change, which is the worst outcome. It's ultimately more beneficial to assess your options in order before letting emotions take over.