As many companies pull back on remote work, some workers are happy to be back at the office at least part of the week. Many prefer hybrid arrangements that offer camaraderie and in-person communication along with some of the freedom remote work offers.
Are Americans losing interest in remote work? At a time when public figures such as Elon Musk and Martha Stewart have spoken out against remote work and when more companies are calling employees back to the office, many adult workers are ready to once again commute to work.
Employees Show An Increased Preference For Onsite Work
In a 2023 study of over 6600 adults conducted by research firm Morning Consult, Inc., the percentage of adults who prefer in-person work has slightly increased.
The declines in preference for 100% remote work are prominent among several groups, namely, women, baby boomers, and middle-income earners.
- Among women and Baby Boomers, the preference for remote work dropped by 5% between 2023 and 2024. For those with a $50,000- $100,000 household income, the drop was 6%.
- Those with incomes of less than $50,000 per year showed a 4% increase in preference for in-person work and a 4% decrease in the desire for remote work.
- Those with household incomes above $100,000 a year showed a 4% increase in preference for remote work, from 30% in 2022 to 34% in 2023.
- Millennials and Gen Z adults preferred in-person work by 5%, while Gen X preferences did not change much.
The numbers indicate that more people are willing to make the physical commute to their office, but those favoring hybrid work have increased in most categories. Respondents’ reasons for preferring either hybrid or remote work were the commute, the distorted work-life balance, and the more comfortable feel of working at home.
Why Are Many Workers Going Back To The Office Willingly
As more than half the workers in each category favored hybrid or remote work to in-person work, a shift in willingness to go back to the office does not indicate that workers are abandoning their love affair with working from home. More are willing to comply with employer requests that they return.
Some of what workers like about working onsite at least part of the week lines up with employer concerns about productivity and easier communication. Workers enjoy some degree of camaraderie and socialization with coworkers. They may like having a place of their own to go to work without the intrusion of family.
However, they also liked the productivity they got without office politics, micromanaging, and a long commute. The taste of freedom many workers got during the pandemic forever changed their attitudes about work needing to be onsite.
While workers comply with requests to return to work, they prefer hybrid arrangements.
Are Digital Nomads Returning To The Office?
The increased number of people working offshore is one pandemic trend that has remained strong. Those who were self-employed or employees of countries pursued the digital nomad lifestyle – the ultimate example of working out of the office – on record numbers.
Some have returned home. This is not surprising as many embarked on a digital nomad lifestyle for a planned duration of 2 to 3 years. Some have returned home because their employers no longer permit remote work or their visas expired.
Other returning nomads say they loved the lifestyle but got tired of traveling. They lived without some of the creature comforts of home, such as a favorite office chair, missed family and friends, and frequently battled with weak internet. Some found that foreigners, while often friendly and welcoming, were sometimes not accepting of people of color or LBGTQ orientation. Too many nomads in an area raised prices for locals, who made them unwelcome.
However, the lifestyle continues to attract new nomads, even some with a long-term strategy of geoarbitrage, living in a succession of countries with a lower cost of living for a longer time to meet an economic goal. What the overall net figures will say about the popularity of digital nomads in 2023 and beyond remains to be seen. Currently, 17 million Americans work abroad, and there is no indication that the trend is slowing down.
Do Workers Agree With The Anti-Remote Thinking?
Even workers who see the advantages of working in the office for at least part of the week might fundamentally disagree with some statements made by Elon Musk and others. Musk recently announced that working at home was unproductive and morally wrong as many workers could not do the same. He distrusts those not working onsite.
In contrast, Brian Chesky, CEO of Airbnb, where remote work is available to all, notes that many people in Musk’s position spend their summer in the Hamptons or somewhere else of their choosing. Those with jobs appropriate to remote work should have the same flexibility available to them.
Martha Stewart recently claimed that remote work will adversely affect the American economy when employees are not on hand when she needs them. She recently complained on live TV that an employee did not respond to her calls on Sunday, the person’s day off. It is this encroachment on personal time off that makes many workers dissatisfied with traditional work arrangements..
Are Workers Losing Interest In Remote Work?
While many workers are only going back to the office, they have not forgotten the many good points of working from home or another remote location. The concept of work changed forever as workers questioned why they couldn’t continue to work remotely if they had proven themselves to be productive.
Having more bodies back in the office has not eroded the interest in remote work.
