The working from home trend started well before the Covid pandemic, but came into its own in 2020 when shutdowns rattled the planet. It’s clear people in the workforce who have the ability to do their jobs from where they live like the arrangement.
According to Gallup, of the approximately 71 million individuals in the U.S. with jobs which can be performed from home (about 45 out of every 100 jobs), only 6% of people want to return to the office on a permanent basis.
In other words, 94% of people have no interest in working back in an office for an entire workweek. Many employees have found that remote work allows for a better balance between their professional and personal lives. The flexibility to manage a schedule, save time on commuting, and be close to family are huge benefits. Some workers feel more productive at home, where they can create their work environment, potentially free from the distractions (and office politics) of an open-office plan.
Working from home had an enormous boost in popularity during the pandemic shutdowns, mainly out of necessity. While hybrid or full work from home has declined since mid-2020 about 41% of all full time employees still work at least part of their job from their residence according to WFH Research. This figure compares to about 13% near the end of 2019.
Some companies have completely embraced the full time remote model, though most Fortune 500 companies employ a hybrid model for those who aren’t in a brick and mortar store. Going forward, it’s likely going to be the businesses which offer these hybrid/full remote setups which, when combined with comparable salaries, are going to be attractive to those seeking jobs.
It’s interesting to think about why the 6% of people who want to go back to the office full time would forego the benefits (no commute, less micromanaging, better work-life balance) of working remotely at least some of the time. The pros to the 94% of those who do not want to return permanently can be cons to the small number of employees who want to be in office all of the time. Perhaps the commute allows them time to wind down or extra time away from home for those who may not have a great home life. Of those 6% who want back into the office 5 days a week, it would be fair to say a decent number of them are likely managers who need to justify their positions. Being unable to easily look in on every employee under them can make it hard to communicate the need for their position to their company, especially if productivity/profits are heading in the right direction.
Companies which own the building(s) in which they operate are quite likely to want to get employees back in as they don’t want an empty structure. Commercial vacancies are relatively high right now, especially on the west coast, making it difficult for the owner of the building (if it is the company) to lease the space if they aren’t using it. Businesses which rent/lease their real estate are likely going to be more open to reducing their physical footprint.
It’s clear a greater percentage of employees want at least a hybrid model than the percentage of businesses willing to roll it out to all eligible employees. Though many companies have embraced remote or hybrid models after seeing successful remote work during the pandemic, it’s all likely to come down to how it hits the bottom line.