Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt retracted comments he made blaming Google’s perceived lack of innovation on remote work and work/life balance.

Schmidt caused quite a stir when he criticized Google’s efforts in the AI industry, saying the company had fallen behind its rivals because it was more concerned with providing work/life balance than it was with being competitive.

“Google decided that work-life balance and going home early and working from home was more important than winning,” Schmidt stated at the time. “The reason startups work is because the people work like hell.”

It appears Schmidt has had a change of heart, or at least someone prevailed upon him and convinced him that such comments were less productive than he may have thought they were. Whatever the case, Schmidt retracted his comments in a statement to The Wall Street Journal.

“I misspoke about Google and their work hours,” Schmidt said in an email to WSJ. “I regret my error.”

CEOs, and ex-CEOS, have increasingly been under fire for being out of touch when it comes to the topic of remote work. Research has shown that any remaining push to return to the office is largely being driven by workaholic, older male CEOs who are trying to recapture a moment in time that is increasingly in the rear view mirror.

“Because the labor market is looser and there’s more talent to be hired, I think the employers think they’ll be able to get their way,” said Dr. Grace Lordan, associate professor in behavioral science at the London School of Economics.

Among those executives who pushed for a return-to-office, 80% regret how their company approached the topic and wish they would have handled it differently.

“Many companies are realizing they could have been a lot more measured in their approach, rather than making big, bold, very controversial decisions based on executives’ opinions rather than employee data,” said Larry Gadea, Envoy’s CEO and founder.

Despite some CEOs trying to recapture traditional office norms, the vast majority have accepted that hybrid work is here to stay.

“The mental well-being of the workforce and preventing burnout remain priorities,” says Paul Knopp, KPMG US Chair and CEO. “In the ongoing future of work debate, the pendulum is swinging back to hybrid work as CEO expectations for a full return to office decline.”

Given the wealth of data supporting hybrid work, it’s little wonder that Schmidt walked back his comments.