Is Remote Work Still Working?

Back in 2021, I wrote about what research was saying about remote work. As much as the world has changed since then, I decided to revisit the topic. It's no secret that ever since the pandemic hit, businesses have had to fundamentally change how they operate. Because of that, being able to work from home went from being a rarity that very few in an office job could do, to something that’s become almost mandatory for the good of a company and for society in general.

But is that idea still working?

According to Pew Research, in 2020, as much as 55% of people whose jobs allowed them to work from home did so. Now four years later, that number has dropped to about 35%, which still equates to about a third of the workforce. At the same time, 63% of non-self-employed people have moved to remote work. They go into the office a few days a week. Of those polled, the majority of hybrid workers have said they prefer to work at home.

Depending on their jobs, some people have thrived from working from home. Some enjoy being able to "go to work" while wearing their pajamas and not having to feel micromanaged by lingering supervisors in person, despite the fact that the workers can be monitored even more easily at home. Working from home also means spending more time with one's family and feeling more relaxed overall.

There are the obvious and not-so-obvious disadvantages that people have to contend with. And to be clear, these are issues that companies and workers are still struggling with. For one, there’s the feeling of "always being connected" and "never feeling off the clock." This was a natural fear at the start and, for some, still is. If you work from home, you are never really "out of the office." So, depending on one's job, they might get work-related communications at times they normally wouldn't. This can add additional feelings of anxiety.

The other thing that doesn't seem to get talked about enough is the new loneliness aspect that many have to contend with. No matter how much a "loner" people consider themselves to be, as humans, we are social animals. For some, socializing with coworkers at work, be it casual conversation or work-related stuff, was vital to their mental health and overall connection to their coworkers. To this end, a Pew survey concluded that up to 53% of remote workers feel disconnected from their coworkers. Feeling part of the team is hard when you're always working alone. And keep in mind, not every company offers a hybrid work option.

It's estimated that by 2025, over 30 million people in the United States will be working from home, while 98% of people want to. At this point, it's imperative that both employees and companies have long-term plans for remote workers, both for the good of the company and the employees themselves. We shape a new future every day, so it must be good and mutually beneficial. At the end of the day, it’s a very individual choice, but for those who it works for, it is working.