It was forced by the pandemic. Workers had to stay home, as required by governments, and companies had no choice but to adapt. In that time workers gained a right that only a small number of them could convince employers to give them before. It’s got to the point where a large number of people would quit their job rather than work in an office and now that that’s a risky proposition, companies can take the opportunity to remove that right from workers with less risk they’ll quit.
Your use of the word "right" is pretty far afield of how most people (lawyers, in particular) would use it. What you're describing is better described as an "emergency measure", "benefit", or "privilege".