New data compiled by TechRadar Pro shows that few companies are convinced of the long-term viability of full-time remote work.
A survey of 3000 IT professionals and other workers, conducted in partnership with Perimeter 81, found that the majority of companies (59%) allowed less than half of the workforce to move to a remote or hybrid work model.
Meanwhile, nearly a quarter (24%) of businesses have required all employees to return to the office full time as pandemic restrictions are lifted.
The remote work debate
The work-from-home debate has become increasingly politicized over time, with many right-wing media portraying remote employees as work-shy and left-wing commentators failing to acknowledge the potential effects on business output.
Another factor adding to the complexity is that the luxury of working from home cannot be extended to manual workers, whose work cannot be done remotely, creating a divide between frontline and corporate staff.
One of the fiercest and most prominent critics of remote work has been Elon Musk, who recently announced a zero tolerance policy at Tesla.
“Anyone who wants to work remotely needs to be in the office for a minimum (and I do mean a minimum) of 40 hours per week or leave Tesla. This is less than what we are asking the factory workers to do,” he wrote in a letter to employees.
Last week, news broke that Tesla was actively monitoring office traffic and sending automated messages to workers who weren't checking in often enough. These employees are asked to explain their absence to management.
While most companies are likely to handle the situation a little more tactfully than Musk, who told employees upset about the policy to "pretend to work somewhere else," the data shows that many feel the same way, Or at least they hedge their bets. .
The vast majority of companies continued to operate at least one corporate office, for example, with only 17.4% of respondents diving headfirst into the remote-only model.
Data on spending habits also betrays some skepticism, showing that most companies continue to invest in on-premises infrastructure, despite increased spending on cloud-based software and services.
The debate will rage, but it would seem that the editorials about the death of the office are premature.