Trends in Job Flexibility and Remote Work

Headlines about companies mandating a full return to the office dominate the conversation, but they often misrepresent broader trends. Reliable data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that hybrid and remote work arrangements are growing, not shrinking. In August 2024, 22.8% of workers reported teleworking part- or full-time, up from 19.5% the previous year. This flexibility isn’t just about convenience—it’s a key driver of retention and productivity. Companies enforcing strict in-office policies face higher turnover, while flexible organizations retain talent and report better employee well-being. Trends like “hushed hybrid” arrangements and “coffee badging” reflect employees’ preference for autonomy, even under mandates. The message is clear: flexibility isn’t a trend; it’s the future of work. Organizations that adapt will not only retain top talent but also foster more innovative and engaged workplaces.

New research alert 🚨🔬: Quantifying the rise, persistence, and implications of remote work 📊🏠 My latest research with Jason Schloetzer utilizing data from Payscale delves into the complexities of remote work arrangements and their impact on employee job satisfaction and engagement (cc Amy Stewart and team for data!). 📌 Key Findings: 1️⃣ Sustained Rise in Remote Work: Contrary to initial speculation that remote work would fade post-pandemic, data shows it's here to stay, growing from under 30% in July 2020 to nearly 50% as of now. 2️⃣ Industry-Specific Trends: Over 70% of workers in Professional Services are remote at least part of the time, compared to only 15-20% in Accommodation and Food Services. Sales and Legal sectors also show a surprising uptick in remote work. 3️⃣ Variable Job Satisfaction: The correlation between remote work and employee engagement is stronger during the pandemic but becomes statistically insignificant when workplace practices are controlled for, suggesting that culture still dwarfs most other things in organizations. 🛠️ Implications: ✅ Flexible Work Is Valued: The sustained rise in hybrid work suggests that employees value flexibility, corroborating prior research. ✅ Digital Intensity Matters: The shift to more digitally-intensive jobs may be a key driver behind the sustained rise in remote work. ✅ Workplace Practices Are Crucial: Our findings underscore the importance of workplace practices in influencing job satisfaction in remote settings. 🤔 Unanswered Questions: ❓ Why Weren't Jobs Remote Earlier?: Is the rise in remote work due to changing employee preferences, or is it a shift in job composition towards more digitally-intensive roles? ❓ Value of Flexibility: Has the value employees place on flexibility changed over time? The paper contributes to an active debate on the costs and benefits of remote work, highlighting its increasing prevalence across various job types and its complex relationship with employee job satisfaction. The data from Payscale is excellent for studying these relationships between remote work and employee engagement. Read more of my research with Jason via the link in comments. #RemoteWork #JobSatisfaction #EmployeeEngagement #IndustryTrends #FutureOfWork #DigitalTransformation #HybridWork #ResearchHighlights

No surprise here…. In today’s market, the companies we work with that offer hybrid or remote flexibility are seeing significantly stronger interest from top talent. The data backs up what we’re seeing every day. Turnover rates are 27% higher at companies that mandate a full return to office, according to a 2024 Owl Labs report. Meanwhile, job seekers are actively seeking roles that support work-life balance, autonomy, and trust. The average commute in the U.S. is now 26.4 minutes one way, which adds up to over 220 hours per year. That’s more than five full workweeks just spent getting to and from work. For many candidates, regaining that time is a game changer. At the same time, a McKinsey study found that 87% of workers offered flexible or remote options are taking them. They’re also reporting higher satisfaction and stronger engagement. For employers, this is an opportunity. The organizations that remain flexible are winning in the talent market, not just with more applicants, but with better-aligned, longer-tenured hires. If your open roles support flexibility, highlight it. It’s no longer just a perk, it’s one of the most powerful tools you have to attract and retain great people.

Where's #hybrid work headed in 2025? Andy Jassy started the latest #RTO push. Elon's driving for the same in the Federal workforce, saying the quiet part out loud: get people to quit. That return-to-past attitude (kudos Francis Saele) creates opportunity for other organizations. In 2025, we'll see growing gaps between firms who've invested in #flexible ways of working versus those who are trying to solve complex business challenges through simplistic policy pronouncements. Leaders have already shifted from where to how we work -- is your organization keeping up? Five key trends that will drive success (or failure) of flexible work in 2025: 1️⃣ Talent Advantage: Investors in flexible work will be quiet magnets happily plucking talent from the loud voices who are braying that employees “aren’t really working.” 2️⃣ Outcomes not Attendance: More firms are (finally) investing in outcomes-driven management, resulting in a more level playing field and improved business results. 3️⃣ Time-Based Advantage. Time matters more than place; core hours for distributed teams and focus time for everyone unlocks productivity and quality. 4️⃣ Co-located vs Distributed. There's no one-size-fits-all; leaders understand and support the differences between teams who are co-located vs spread out. 5️⃣ Flex Winners become Gen AI Leaders. Adapting to new ways of working requires experimentation, guidelines, support, focus on outcomes ... and trust. What's your take? Will #hybrid work continue to take the lead? What's going to drive success in workplace #flexibility in 2025? 👉 Read on, my latest MIT Sloan Management Review column linked in comments. Thanks to Leslie Brokaw, Laurianne McLaughlin and Abbie Lundberg! #FutureOfWork #Leadership #HybridWork #RemoteWork #Productivity #GenAI #Engagement #Talent

𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻-𝘁𝗼-𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 In June 2025, 21.6% of US employees worked remotely at least part time, down slightly from 22.3% in June 2024. Hybrid roles now account for 53.1% of workers who spend any time at home, compared to 46.9% in fully remote positions. Only 27% of companies will be back to a fully in-person model by year’s end, while 67% continue to offer hybrid flexibility. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗘𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗱 • 64% of US employees now prefer remote or hybrid roles over working from the office every day. • 61% of companies have formal RTO policies requiring employees to work on-site a minimum number of days each week. • The share of workers under office-mandate policies rose to 75% in late 2024, up from 63% in early 2023. • 46% of employees say they’d look for a new job if their employer stopped allowing remote or hybrid work. 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 In 2026 and beyond, organizations will refine return-to-office strategies using real-time utilization data and activity-based planning. Expect policies that: • Tie in-office days to project milestones, collaborative sprints, and mentorship sessions • Leverage AI-driven space optimization and smart scheduling to personalize the workplace • Blend virtual and in-person experiences through VR/AR or hybrid event platforms This evolution will shift RTO from a mandate to a tailored, outcome-driven experience. 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗛𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Likelihood to look for a new job if remote/hybrid work is revoked 64% Employees who’d seek new work without any remote options 46% Companies reporting higher retention by allowing remote work 76% Companies losing talent due to RTO policies 80% Hybrid/remote workers willing to accept a pay cut to stay remote 48% These figures underscore that overly rigid office mandates risk driving turnover, raising hiring costs, and eroding employer brand. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗗𝗼 𝗡𝗼𝘄 • Tie office days to clear objectives such as innovation workshops, client pitches, or onboarding ceremonies • Offer choice through dynamic scheduling tools and desk-hoteling platforms • Measure impact with OKRs and KPIs around collaboration hours, engagement scores, and retention rates • Invest in well-being amenities and quiet zones to support diverse needs • Communicate transparently—share usage data, policy rationale, and gather ongoing feedback By aligning RTO policies with both business outcomes and employee preferences, you’ll build a workplace that attracts top talent and sustains retention. What strategies have you found most effective in balancing office presence with flexibility? Share your insights below!

🚨Flex work isn't fading. But the gap between policy and reality is widening. Leaders of distributed teams - take note. The latest Flex Index report gives data-driven insights to reveal what’s really going on. Here’s what you need to know: 📊 𝗙𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗺. 67% of U.S. companies still offer work location flexibility.  “Structured Hybrid” leads at 43%, while only 33% are mandating full-time in-office work. 🏢 𝗟𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻-𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲. 35% of firms with 500-5,000 employees require full-time in-office. Yet 70% of companies with <500 employees remain Fully Flexible. 📅 𝗜𝗻-𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗽. On average, required office days went from 2.49 to 2.82 over the past year. 📈 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆. Companies say they want people in office more (+10% vs Q1 2024), but actual attendance? It’s barely moved (< +2%). 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀? 👉 Being in the office doesn’t mean being connected - you are likely still working with people in other locations. 👉 Structured hybrid requires structured leadership development - not just policy. 👉 Culture and collaboration don’t follow mandates. They follow skills. 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙛? Instead of focusing energy on “getting people back to the office”… What if we invested in upskilling people to work better from wherever they are on any given day?   📉 Global Workplace Analytics research shows that only 23% of companies have provided training on the skills and best practices to work effectively in hybrid, distributed, and remote environments.   It’s time to build a new leadership muscle... 𝗢𝗺𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗮𝗹 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 - the ability to be equally effective at communicating, connecting, collaborating, and influencing when: ✅ Fully in-person ✅ In a hybrid setting (either in the location majority or location minority) ✅ Fully remote And being able to transition between modes, even within a single day! (check out the comments for more on this concept)   𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘻𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘺𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘥 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘦𝘴? 🔗 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗤𝟮 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗙𝗹𝗲𝘅 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗲𝘅 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁: https://lnkd.in/ehr3H-YD Note: Flex Index is now under the trusted stewardship of my colleague and future of work expert, Brian Elliott!