instagram Mandates Five-Day Work Week Starting February 2nd, Cites Collaboration Boost
MENLO PARK, CA – January 29, 2026 – Instagram employees will be required to work from the office five days a week, effective February 2nd, Meta confirmed Monday. The policy shift, detailed in a memo from Instagram head Adam Mosseri, aims to cultivate a more “creative and collaborative working environment.”
Mosseri, in the memo titled “Building a Winning Culture in 2026,” stated his belief that in-person interaction fosters greater innovation. “I believe that we are more creative and collaborative when we are together in-person,” he wrote. “I felt this pre-COVID and I feel it any time I go to our New York office where the in-person culture is strong.”
A Meta spokesperson clarified to CNBC that the new return-to-office (RTO) policy applies solely to Instagram and does not extend to other Meta-owned platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp.
this move represents a tightening of MetaS previous RTO guidelines, implemented in 2023, which required employees to be in the office at least three days per week. Other tech giants have adopted similar policies; Amazon has also mandated a five-day work week for many employees, while Alphabet, Apple, and Microsoft generally require at least three days in the office. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella recently cited the weakening of social ties during the pandemic as a reason for strengthening its RTO policy, describing those ties as “necesary for innovation.”
Beyond the RTO mandate, Mosseri’s memo outlined additional changes intended to improve productivity. Recurring meetings will be reviewed and canceled every six months unless deemed “absolutely necessary,” and employees are encouraged to decline meetings that disrupt dedicated focus time. “I want most of your time focused on building great products, not preparing for meetings,” Mosseri wrote.
the memo also emphasized a shift towards practical submission over presentation. Mosseri called for increased use of product prototypes, stating, “Prototypes allow us to establish a proof of concept and get a real sense for social dynamics, and we use them far too infrequently.”
Despite acknowledging challenges ahead – noting that both 2025 and 2026 are expected to be “tough” years - Mosseri expressed optimism about Instagram’s future.”These changes are going to meaningfully help us move Instagram forward in a way we can all be proud of – with creativity, boldness, and craft,” he concluded.
