I get information about my old workplace every once in a while. The (Millennial) CEO there is annoyed about WFH employees not returning. He likes to walk around the offices taking calls on his earbuds and watch the action. Of course, the only action is on the manufacturing floor now. It also doesn't help that a bunch of people got COVID in the office recently.
Something else struck me about the desire to get employees back into the office. That company has been hemorrhaging staff, mostly in WFH positions. I'm kind of essential and have to be in the building most of the time anyway. What made me feel bad about leaving the old job is not seeing my work friends anymore. If I was WFH, I can see how replacing one group of Zoom boxes for another wouldn't have as much of an impact.
Lots of comments here say don't make friends at work and always go for the most money, but people naturally form relationship and settle for a comfortable rut. Employers like to exploit that and anything else for leverage. It may also apply to some toxic work places because of trauma bonding among co-workers. Does being in the office make a huge impact on retention in reality? Who knows? But I bet managers think it does.