Work From Home: Where are we now?

Remote work surged during Covid, but hybrid models now dominate. Younger staff resist full-time office returns, while management works to balance flexibility and productivity.

The key points: Remote work surged during Covid, with about 40% of workers able to work from home. Flexibility became highly valued, but the lack of workplace socialising and learning was missed. Hybrid work is now the norm, but patterns are hard to enforce.

Why this matters: There is a generational divide: senior managers want full-time office returns, while younger staff push back, valuing flexibility and questioning the need for old routines.

Our analysis: The shift to hybrid work is not straightforward. Companies must navigate competing expectations and find sustainable models that work for both management and staff. Hybrid work models will continue to evolve, shaped by employee resistance and management attempts to balance productivity with flexibility.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• So, where are we today? A recent article in the Economist takes stock. Its headline? “Unlike everyone else, Americans and Britons still shun the office.” You can read it here.
• Here is some interesting analysis on how a drive to end “work-from-home” played out for the right-of-centre Liberals in last week’s Australian general election: here.