Leaders Must Accept that Pandemic Shift Has Become Permanent

In March 2020, everybody who could started to work from anywhere. Not much good came from that dark pandemic era. About the only bright spot was the future of work, which looked increasingly remote, or at least hybrid.

Workers developed a more independent concept of employment. Over time, they proved they didn’t need a boss peering over their necks to be productive.

Beyond the trend toward remote work, C-suites started looking for fractional executives. Others in the workforce who didn’t want a full-time daily grind examined gig work – Uber, DoorDash, Task4Pros and more.

Now, nearly five years later, remote work has stabilized at about 2.3 days per week, according to the Survey of Working Arrangements and Attitudes (SWAA). That reality matches what employers want – but falls short of employee wishes.

SWAA research says that workers want to average about three days of remote work a week. For years, I’ve been on record favoring almost unlimited remote work, so I’ll not belabor that point again. Instead, let’s look at how these shifts have profound implications for work-life balance and the very definition of work itself.

Workers Will Fight for Remote, Hybrid Workplaces

Before the pandemic, remote work was a growing but still relatively niche practice. However, COVID-19 forced a massive and rapid transition to remote work for any industry that could.

Now, in February 2025, 75% of employed adults who can work from home – or work from anywhere – do so at least some of the time, according to the Pew Research Center. Many say they would look elsewhere for work if they faced return-to-office (RTO) mandates. SWAA recently reported that one-third of workers would start or join a strike over RTO mandates.

That, combined with the data from SWAA, leads me to believe that remote and hybrid work is here to stay. Which I have thought for a while. Maybe not at the levels that I prefer, but certainly more than a full-time return to the office across the board.

Yes, I’m aware of the high-profile stories about companies who now require all their workers back in the office full time. Even so, only 32% of U.S. companies require their corporate staff to commute to the office full time.

The five-day-a-week Amazons, AT&Ts and Dells have it wrong. The three-day-a-week Apples, Googles, IBMs and Metas have it nearly right.

Benefits of Hybrid Work Include Productivity, Well-Being

Pre-COVID, employees worked 7.2% of paid workdays at home. During the height of the pandemic, that number skyrocketed to 61.5%. It has settled in at around 28%-30% and probably will stay somewhere around there.

This shift has led to increased flexibility for employees, allowing them to better balance work and family responsibilities. Those bonuses come despite the fact that working from anywhere can blur the boundaries between work and personal life.

Despite the blurred lines, solid research shows solid productivity. Executives like the fact that hybrid arrangements reduce employee turnover. Happier employees quit less – particularly non-managers, female employees and those with long commutes.

Commuting – what us with industrial engineering training call nonvalue-added time – takes time and creates stress. Not commuting alleviates that.

Employees can work during their peak productive hours, whether that means starting earlier or later in the day. Letting employees work in comfortable and focused environments creates a culture of autonomy and trust. Hence the higher engagement and retention.

Employees have an easier time managing childcare, elder care, medical appointments and other personal responsibilities. They can integrate exercise into their daily routines, prepare healthier meals. These are positive aspects of life that lengthy commutes render impossible.

And they do all this without compromising work commitments. Reduced stress combined with better care of your personal well-being improves mental health and leads to fewer sick days.

Fully remote work allows your workforce to live where they prefer. Even if that’s not an expensive urban center where the downtown office sits. That gives them more disposable income, and some are even willing to accept lower salaries.

Where the Elon Musks of the world see the flexibility of hybrid and remote work as a perk, I see it as a fundamental shift that helps my team thrive professionally and personally.

The Gig Economy’s Role in Business Operations

The gig economy, characterized by platforms like Uber and Task4Pros, has also seen significant growth.

These platforms offer workers the flexibility to choose when and where they work, which can be particularly appealing in a post-pandemic world where traditional job security has been shaken.

Companies should use such platforms wisely, though. Warehouses, in particular, often rely on staffing services to fill gaps when demand surges, particularly around the holidays. Unfortunately, most staffing companies use an independent contractor, or 1099 model.

You really should hire from labor on demand companies that use a W2 model. Their workers qualify for health insurance, retirement, vacation, workers’ compensation insurance – the whole range of benefits.

That leads to motivated workers. And your company can avoid potential worker misclassification lawsuits. Such lawsuits, or enforcement actions from the U.S. Department of Labor, cost big money, even if you win. Companies who lose have paid out millions of dollars. In one example, FedEx settled with multiple states to the tune of nearly $500 million.

In fact, the Economic Policy Institute reports that between 10% to 30% of audited employers misclassify some workers. That’s playing with fire, and not in a fun way.

The Reinvention of Work Is Not Going Away

Corporate leaders must accommodate a work world characterized by continued flexibility and remote/hybrid models. The gig economy will continue to grow for employees who want even more flexible working options. Fractional executives may become common in the corporate world. They can give companies the skills they need to succeed in a fast-changing environment without hiring full-time team members.

Remote work, work-on-demand platforms, gig work and fractional executives are reshaping how senior management thinks about employment and work-life balance. Companies will need to invest in technology and infrastructure to support this new way of working from anywhere. And it will be crucial for businesses, employees and policymakers to adapt and support a healthy and productive workforce.

Related Reading

• Gig Work Hits the Executive Set – aka the Evolution to 3FE
• Leading Remote Teams – Don’t Let Different Cities Stop You
• Remote Work Revolution Can Help You Win the Talent War