During the pandemic, millions of people have started working from home. Employees are happier and better able to manage their workdays while actually getting more work done. They may never get dressed, but remote workers don’t stay in bed all day binge-watching Ted Lasso either.
Why companies need people back in the office
Working from home (WFH) hasn’t been the productivity nightmare employers may have imagined. In fact, remote workers are more productive and, by some measures, less likely to look for another job. It’s also cheaper for employers, and since there’s no commute, it’s better for the environment. Major tech companies like Google and Apple have already extended WFH plans well into 2021. But will it continue after the pandemic?
“Once the COVID-19 pandemic is over, the number of people working from home will explode,” writes Stanford researcher Nicholas Bloom. “I see these numbers more than doubling in a post-pandemic world. I suspect that nearly all employees who can work from home, which is estimated at about 40% of employees, will be allowed to work from home at least one day a week.”
Working from home used to be seen as a joke. You could do the bare minimum and spend the rest of your time watching movies or going to the pub. But in reality, as permanent home workers have known for years, you can get a lot more done without the constant distractions of the office. For freelancers, the problem is often knowing when to stop working.
