The idea of working in the office is becoming more attainable as vaccines continue to be rolled out across the country. However, it is unlikely that we will return to full normalcy any time soon.
While many companies have actually embraced the remote working trend of the past year, it is clear that not all agree with this model. Still, a recent survey from Growmotely found that 61% of respondents would prefer a fully remote work environment.
For example, Spotify recently announced it would transition to a permanent flexible work policy with its Work From Anywhere initiative. This allows its employees to choose how they want to work, including in an office, remotely or in a coworking space in which they would cover the costs for.
“This is an opportunity to scrap the idea that big cities are the only places where meaningful work can happen because we know firsthand that isn’t true,” said Travis Robinson, the head of diversity, inclusion and belonging at Spotify.
At Twitter, CEO Jack Dorsey told employees they would work from home forever last May. Prior to the pandemic, Twitter was already on a path to shifting to a permanent remote working policy but the past year’s events accelerated it.
On the other hand, Goldman Sachs’ CEO of investment bank David Solomon said that remote working policies are not ideal for the company and that “it’s not a new normal.”
He added that remote work culture clashes with the “collaborative apprenticeship culture” of the financial sector.
