Workers want flexibility. Employers want productivity. Can both coexist?

"While teleworking has been around nearly since the dawn of the internet, remote work saw a boom at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a 2022 U.S. Census Bureau report, the number of Americans working from home tripled between 2019 and 2021, going from 9 million people to 27.6 million. That figure dropped to 22.5 million people in 2023, and now many workplaces are beginning to question the viability of remote work and are requiring their employees to return to in-person roles."

"The average American will spend a third of their working years at their job. For some, remote work has provided flexibility and new opportunities. For others, it has brought loneliness and poor productivity. Workplaces can enjoy improved productivity and collaboration. Studies have found that sitting near a high performer can improve someone's performance. Employees get more socialization through casual conversation that would normally not occur on a Zoom call. A better work-life balance is possible, as people do not bring their work home with them."

Teleworking existed before, but remote work expanded sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic, with Americans working from home increasing from 9 million in 2019 to 27.6 million in 2021. That number fell to 22.5 million in 2023 as many employers began pushing employees back into in-person roles. Returning to the office can boost productivity and collaboration, increase informal socialization, and help some employees separate work from home. Remote arrangement benefits include flexibility and new opportunities for some workers, while drawbacks include loneliness and poor productivity for others. Employers cite culture, invention, and customer outcomes as reasons for in-person expectations.

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