I think a lot of it is just that - a lot of managers are control freaks, or used to “managing by walking around”, and feel lost when all the peons are out and working remote.

The companies that let workers act on their own recognizance are most likely far more pleasant to work for, while the companies that have a million little rules and do things like forced RTO tend to be the ones with asshole bosses that are miserable workplaces.