Stellantis puts an end to teleworking: will there be enough room for everyone?

One month after the phasing-out of teleworking, Stellantis is accelerating. What looked until recently like a measured transition is now becoming a clear trajectory: back to the office for everyone. But as the timetable becomes clearer, an unexpected question is emerging, particularly in Italy: are offices still big enough to accommodate everyone?

New management accelerates return to the office

The movement is no longer theoretical. Under the impetus of the new management team headed by Antonio Filosa, Stellantis wants to put engineers, technicians and middle managers back at the heart of the physical sites. The objective is clear: to recreate proximity, facilitate informal exchanges and accelerate decision-making in an increasingly demanding industrial context.

In the United States, the timetable has now been set. From the end of March 2026, employees will have to return to work on site five days out of five. Telecommuting, once a symbol of modernity in the Group, becomes an exception.

In Europe, the switchover will be more gradual, but the management leaves little doubt as to the final destination: the hybrid model is a thing of the past.

Italy on the front line, with an already concrete timetable

It's in Italy that the first concrete consequences are appearing. Of the approximately 8,000 employees affected, almost 5,000 will have to return to the office at least three days a week by September 2026.

The Mirafiori site in Turin is particularly concerned. It houses not only the historical teams, but also new entities such as Stellantis Europe Enlarged and the ProOne division. These structures had been designed to operate with telecommuting and rotation.

The massive return to face-to-face meetings raises a very pragmatic question: how can we fit everyone into spaces designed for partial presence?

Mirafiori faces an unexpected challenge: lack of space

The paradox is striking. While Stellantis wants to repatriate its teams, some buildings are not ready to absorb this return. The famous palazzina of the Enti Centrali, recognizable by its emblematic Fiat inscription, is currently being renovated. The work is not due to be completed until 2027. Until then, capacity remains limited.

As a result, in-house questions are multiplying. Will it be necessary to reorganize spaces, make offices denser, or even reintroduce forms of rotation despite the end of telecommuting? The question is no longer just social, it's logistical.

Employees forced to rethink their entire lifestyle

As expected, this shift has not been without its tensions. In recent years, many employees had profoundly reorganized their daily lives around telecommuting. Some left Turin to settle further afield, others built their personal balance on this flexibility. The imposed return to the office is now turning these choices into constraints. Many will become commuters once again, with longer commuting times and a new lifestyle to adapt to.

For Stellantis, the logic remains consistent. In an industry in the throes of change, with electrification, embedded software and global competitive pressure, management sees physical collaboration as a lever for performance.

The office is once again a strategic tool. A place where innovation, speed of execution and team cohesion are at stake. But this return to “face-to-face” working opens up a new area of uncertainty. Stellantis will have to strike a delicate balance between real estate constraints, employee expectations and changing working practices.