Companies have found employees can be just as productive when working remotely. And they're happier too.

"Many employers are even perfecting their approach to flexible work arrangements. They're making in-person time more strategic and purposeful, designating in-office days and taking steps to ensure new employees don't feel isolated. "They're undoubtedly here to stay," Johnny Taylor, president and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management, said of remote and flexible work options. "It's hard to put that genie back in the bottle.""

"Among U.S. workers who have jobs that can be performed remotely, the percentage who work a hybrid schedule has hovered between 51% and 55% since November 2022, according to Gallup. That's up from 32% in 2019. The percentage who are exclusively remote has stayed between 26% and 29% in recent years, up from 8% in January 2019. About half of the U.S. workforce is in jobs that can be done remotely, and most of those employees are working hybrid schedules."

Hybrid and remote work arrangements have become entrenched as employers formalize flexible approaches and make in-person time more strategic and purposeful. Employers designate specific in-office days and take steps to prevent new-employee isolation. Remote and hybrid arrangements maintained productivity during the COVID-19 pandemic and have also boosted morale while improving recruitment and retention. Among workers with remote-capable jobs, a majority now work hybrid schedules and a substantial share remain exclusively remote. The tech sector sustains high fully remote levels, while most federal employees returned to onsite work under recent policy changes. Demand for flexibility is primarily employee-driven.

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