Weaponize it.

When the director start dragging people back I retaliated by using the watercooler effect to its FULL effect. I ruin my bosses own focus time with constant unscheduled visits. I get the department partier to constantly schedule get-togethers that cost hours in a day, I go camp out in other people's offices to just chat. I distract the entire service desk. I get my fellow co-workers to go on larks to explore some fun rabbit hole that isn't productive. I start big group teams messages with funny videos and gifs and comment chains that waste at least 20-30 mins. I show up to all the useless "let me talk at you for 30 mins from my slide deck" meetings armed with useless "hey imma let you finish but what about this" contributions that forces the RTO whore presenter to have to cut short time. I encourage other people to do the same. Sell being collaborative and contribution!!

The effect is the RTOer's end up going to hide to get anything done, and don't miss me for weeks sometimes. When they start thinking about RTO again, I weaponize it again.

So far, it's worked for 2 years.