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.""

"When employers adopted flexible work arrangements during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, many found that employees were just as productive when working remotely. In the years since, they've discovered that hybrid and remote work options also improve morale and make it easier to recruit and retain employees, who are increasingly prioritizing flexibility. 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."

Hybrid and remote work are now durable elements of workplace practice as employers optimize flexible arrangements to be strategic and supportive. Companies designate in-office days and structure in-person time to prevent new-employee isolation and make meetings more purposeful. Remote productivity during the pandemic demonstrated viability, and hybrid models have since been linked to improved morale and stronger recruitment and retention. Among remote-capable U.S. workers, hybrid schedules account for roughly half while exclusive remote work is markedly higher than pre-2019 levels. Tech shows higher full-remote rates, and some government policies have reduced federal remote work.

Read at San Diego Union-Tribune