Do I have to return to the office? No – employers don’t expect you there full-time with flexible and hybrid work continuing to grow

Despite recent headlines about WeWork, Disney and Zoom, most employers know that flexible work environments are here to stay – and the data proves that

For example, the number of companies offering location flexibility is increasing, and nearly half of remote workers meet colleagues at least once a month

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More businesses than ever are adapting to flexible and hybrid working for their employees, even if some are pushing to get their people in offices more. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 9:45am, 13 Aug 2023

WeWork’s future is in doubt. Zoom Video Communications, the pandemic poster child of remote work, just told its employees to get back to the office. The headlines suggest that flexible work is on the ropes – yet actually it is thriving.

The owner of coworking giant Regus – think WeWork with better cash flow and no leadership drama – just posted its best six-month sales period ever, thanks to a growing list of customers that includes Zoom. LiquidSpace, a digital marketplace where clients find and book on-demand office space, has seen transactions soar this year.

The share of companies offering location flexibility, meanwhile, increased to 61 per cent in July from 51 per cent in January, according to Scoop Technologies, which helps firms manage hybrid workforces.

So, despite the news from WeWork and Zoom – and the push by companies like Walt Disney to get workers back in offices most of the week – there is a growing body of research, trend data and surveys showing that flexibility matters.

Zoom began nudging employees back into its offices earlier this year. Photo: Shutterstock

Work is now a thing we do, not a place we go. Offices play a role, but not the central one they have held for decades.