I started as a journalist where flexibility\nwas a given. With the aid of technology, work was only starting to become more flexible\nand (at least partly) remote work just about made sense. If you think about it,\npress conferences rarely happen in the editorial offices. On the other hand,\ndeadlines ensured I had to burn the midnight oil at home at one point or the\nother. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So I can only embrace the fact that technology\nmade it possible for other professions to break free from their offices, too.\nThis movement dates back to the 1980s and IBM allowing their employees to work\nfrom home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The internet then accelerated the trend so\nmuch that, according to a Swiss study from 2018<\/a>, 70% of full-time\nemployees globally worked remotely at least on one day of the week. So what can\nwe expect in the long term? Is the future of work remote?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, its supporters answer with a\nresounding yes. Owl Labs\u2019 2019 repor<\/a>t that surveyed 1,200 US\nemployees concluded that remote work makes people happier and more loyal to\ntheir employer, to the extent that these people are willing to work more hours,\nas a way of thanking their employer for a better work-life balance, less\nstress, and no commuting times. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Companies that support such a set-up also enjoy benefits: they see an increase in employee productivity as well as a decrease in overhead costs: as much as $10,000 per employee a year in terms of real estate<\/a> costs<\/a>. Furthermore, less stress and more commitment mean fewer sick days and lower recruiting costs for the employer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But not everyone supports this remote working trend to the same extent. IBM was again the first to make headlines<\/a> two years ago by calling tens of thousands of employees back to the office. Others, like Bank of America or Yahoo<\/a>, have quickly followed suit. Their most important argument? Facilitating collaboration and innovation, the success factors of our current times. Less cited, but identifying performance with time spent in the office (see incompetent management) still remains a benchmark for some employers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I also have my share of personal experience that echoes those concerns. I have seen people being confused or lost working from home or showing weaker work ethics. I have seen bosses who are essentially control freaks. These groups are bound to fail in remote working environments. So who’s guaranteed to succeed?<\/p>\n\n\n\n