Expectations have changed. Following the pandemic, many workers, particularly knowledge workers, professionals, and many workers doing support functions, realized that they can do their jobs at home. Bosses noticed as well, as productivity didn’t decrease for many workers.

Yes, many employers are calling back their employees. There is an advantage to having team members together in an office. Certain problems get identified and solved quickly. Team members establish bonds. Colleagues can get feedback with a simple look and body language as work gets done.

But there are also massive advantages to having the flexibility to work from home. Less commuting time gives employees more time to be productive, or simply rest or take care of life’s daily obligations. It’s easier in so many ways. Americans are now having more babies! That’s just one example of how quality of life can improve with flexibility.

The Hybrid Model

Of course, more of us realize that in office work and work from home are not binary choices. The hybrid model can give us the best of both worlds, if implemented properly.

Many prospective employees now expect this when applying for a job. Employers make sure to note that hybrid work is an option.

There are issues of course around implementation. How does this apply to different jobs and departments. Employees need to understand the policies and most need to perceive the policies as being fair. Employers should not make the mistake of thinking that everyone should be treated in exactly the same way. For some employees, work from home on most days can make sense. For others, it’s necessary to have a predominantly in office policy. Just have rational policies on how to differentiate between workers and roles.

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People often evaluate situations through their own biases. We all face this challenge, though we can dive deeper into that another time.

You’ve certainly heard about “The Great Resignation.” Employers have had a very difficult time finding employees, particularly in service jobs such as the restaurant industry.

You’ve also probably heard people saying “nobody wants to work anymore.” Put aside for a moment the fact that this has been said for years by each generation. The reality of the situation is more complex, and for many, their biases are affecting how they view this problem.

We all need to come to terms with the reality that the pandemic was a traumatizing experience for many people. For others, it was deeply unsettling. It’s not surprising that many people altered their outlook on their lives, and naturally this spilled over into society and our culture.

With that in mind, we should all give more thought to how attitudes toward work have been affected, and with better understanding we can address the issue in more thoughtful and effective ways.

The “Great Resignation” is a term used to describe a significant and widespread increase in employee resignations, job changes, and voluntary departures from the workforce starting around 2021. This phenomenon was characterized by a noticeable shift in employees’ priorities, values, and expectations from their careers and employers. Several factors contributed to the Great Resignation, including:

COVID-19 pandemic

The pandemic disrupted the job market, leading to layoffs, furloughs, and increased job insecurity. As a result, many people began reevaluating their work-life balance, job satisfaction, and career paths.

Remote work

The pandemic forced many businesses to shift to remote work, leading to increased flexibility and autonomy for employees. This change made some workers unwilling to return to traditional office environments and sparked a desire for more flexible work arrangements. Some people loved working from home and also felt they could be more productive.

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The remote work trend that was turbocharged by the pandemic is now getting a boost from programs offering incentives to remote workers to move into less expensive cities and towns. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal explains that 71 cities and towns are offering incentives for workers to move there. These incentives often involve cash payments to the workers. Indianapolis-based MakeMyMove is contracted by cities and towns to set up these programs.

These programs make a lot of sense. Remote workers no longer have to locate in areas with a high cost of living. They can move anywhere. Meanwhile, these workers are very attractive to smaller cities and towns, adding to the tax base and purchasing power of the population, without adding congestion to local traffic. Paying incentives is a great way to make a particular city or town more attractive to a worker considering a move.

Expect this trend to continue barring a significant economic downturn.

The trend towards hybrid work is controversial with some companies while others are embracing it.

Amazon has paused work on new office space in Bellevue, Washington and Nashville, Tennessee as it grapples with the desire for employees to have hybrid work options. Amazon stressed with this was not an indication that planned hiring would slow down, but rather that hybrid work will impact plans for office space in both locations.

“The pandemic has significantly changed the way people work … Our offices are long-term investments and we want to make sure that we design them in a way that meets our employees’ needs in the future,” said John Schoettler, vice president of Global Real Estate and Facilities at Amazon.

Amazon and Meta also pulled back on office expansion plans in New York City.

How companies handle trends around hybrid work and remote work will be one of the more important strategic decisions companies will make over the next decade, and approaches will vary widely. Many workers are expecting hybrid or remote work options, while some companies are insisting that employees return to the office.

The economic slowdown will impact these decisions as well. Some classes of employees will be losing leverage if layoffs accelerate. Meanwhile, some companies are realizing the opportunity for significant cost savings by switching to remote and/or hybrid models.

Facebook is expanding its work-from-home policy to most employees, other than jobs like hardware maintenance that require on-site work. The company will also begin allowing employees to request remote work across international borders.

Facebook will have some form of hybrid work as well:

Zuckerberg said employees who want to work in an office will be asked to come in at least half the time. This is to ensure that the office remains vibrant and that employees who do come into the office make the most of being a part of that community.

Additionally, he said Facebook plans to organize regular in-person gathers for office and remote workers “to support the relationship-building.”

This is a smart move as Facebook is in a heated battle for content, and frankly expectations are changing.