Study: Most employers say they will allow remote work post-pandemic

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

It's widely accepted that after the pandemic most people will work both in the office and remotely. A new study sheds light on what that this hybrid approach will look like, including some employees willing to personally pay for office space.

In a blind study, WeWork and HR research and advisory company Workplace Intelligence asked 2,000 employees and executives their views on hybrid work. They found 95% of employees want some control over how, where and when they work, with a similar percentage of bosses who said they're willing to give them that control.

Among executives, 79% said they plan to let employees split time between corporate offices and remote locations, if their jobs allow it.

This does not bode well for the owners of office space, since less time in the office likely would reduce demand for office space.

https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2021/04/13/employers-remote-work-post-pandemic.html

On the other hand it would be easier on the environment and require less investment in transportation infrastructure.

Perhaps this is the one good thing that came out of the pandemic. Many employers were reluctant to allow employees to work remotely. Now that they see it can work they're more open to such.

[JenniferJuniper]

1. My employer wants everyone back after Memorial Day,

no more work from home at all. It's a finance group with about 8500 employees across the country and most jobs absolutely can be done remotely.

[smirkymonkey]

9. Sorry, but that is such controlling bullshit.

I am sorry for you. I work for a large corporation as well and they are phasing us back in between July and Sept, however it is going to be between us and our managers as to how many days we spend in the office. Nothing is mandated.

I was able to wfh one day a week before the pandemic and I am going to shoot for two at least. There is not much I really need to be there for except for meetings, which we have proven can be just as productive on WebEx or Teams. How do other people in your company feel about this?

[Silent3]

2. Our local HR person has always seemed gung ho about getting people back in the office

I'm not sure how that's going to balance out against overall corporate policy going forward. I'll push for as much working-from-home as I can.

I started on a new team at work just as the pandemic started, and they're terrible about making meetings drag on and on and on. That's much, much easier to deal with while comfortably at home than when stuck in a conference room.

[drray23]

3. our company has said they are going to allow remote work.

they save money, so do employees and we did not lose productivity working remotely.

[cinematicdiversions]

4. Our company switched to remote work when possible

That horse has left the barn in many cases.

[NQAS]

5. I suspect many employers opting out of remote work

Last edited Tue Apr 13, 2021, 11:25 PM - Edit history (1)

Use the argument that things are returning to normal.

The problem, I’m convinced that nothing really is “normal” anymore. Families with children may very well still not have access to childcare. And even if childcare is available, these families may be hesitant to take that route. So, that’s not normal at all.

Let’s say that large companies or government agencies have employees whose political affiliations mirror those of the greater population of the US. This would mean that between 40 and 50% of employees will still not wear masks and may very well not be vaccinated, posing tremendous risks to coworkers. So that’s not normal either.

It’s possible that companies requiring their employees to return to the office may also require those employees to undertake business travel. So travel may or may not pose a risk, but given the reduction in air travel demand, it’s likely that many employees would be hesitant to take business trips by air and stay in hotels and eat out. So, that’s not normal.

Notwithstanding the stresses of enforced remote work, I’ve read that studies have shown that employees are pretty much as productive at home as they are in office settings. So, employers who insist that they need to have their employees return to offices are pretty much telling their employees that they are not trusted to be profuctive in remote settings over the long run. Actually that kind of distrust may be very normal for some work environments.

Of course, there are many, many jobs that do not lend them selves to remote work. And it’s those employees have who have been working through the pandemic at considerable risk. I am not confident that employers of this type of employee would enforce the common sense measures of masks and social distancing as things “return to normal.”

[area51]

6. +1 n/t

[Raftergirl]

7. My kid cannot wait to get back to his office.

He works at a tech company and they all had the option of working from home whenever they wanted before CV. He still young (27) and most who work there are youngish and they have really cool offices - it’s like going to work at an entertainment complex. Free food and drink all day. Happy hour every Friday afternoon, too. I think most will be ready to go back as soon as it’s safe.

[BannonsLiver]

8. We'll see where we are 4-5 years down the road

My guess is our corporate overlords will probably creep back into old habits by then. I’ve never put much stock in breathless “will never be the same again” predictions. Too many unknowns.

[smirkymonkey]

10. To be honest, this is like stuffing toothpaste back in the tube.

It's not going to go over well. Most companies have found they are just as productive if not more so with people working remotely. Some people love it and some don't.

Why not give people a choice? A mandatory return is not going to sit well with people, especially since not everyone has been vaccinated and there is a much higher risk of being in the office than staying home. Anyway, this should be interesting. I want to stay home at least two days a week and preferably three. At least until things are a bit more stable.

Who am I kidding. I want that schedule permanently. I hate the whole morning routine - wake up, get ready, commute, etc. - I love just being able to wake up shortly before work starts and then rolling over and turning my computer on. I don't get motivated until much later in the morning, but at least I function better when I can sleep later. I get so much more done.