Remote work is here to stay with 33% of the American workforce continuing remote work, while another third has returned to work at the office.

Gallup has been tracking remote work by Americans over the course of the year through various polls and surveys. Their data reveals that many Americans have returned to working in the office or on site since September. Many are unconquered about exposure to COVID-19. Concern has gone down due to extensive cleaning measures in place, social distancing and the use of personal protective equipment.

Many workers want to continue to work remotely. In some companies, this is possible for services such as customer service that can be done remotely.

A few large employers like Google have taken the pre-emptive measure of working remotely through mid 2021, according to the WSJ. This affects the roughly 200,000 employees and contract workers at the company.

Remote Work to Persist In the Aftermath of the Pandemic

Remote work is most likely here to stay for the well educated, well paid workforce that can operate digitally. This change may also become permanent on some level for some companies where certain roles can be done remotely and in other cases, a hybrid of working at home and in office/on site. Some companies are considering a hybrid of remote and on-site with on-site work for three consecutive days and remote work for two days. Others are considering a shift to a four-day work model entirely. For companies that offer extensive customer service support on the phone and by email, working remotely can be very suitable. This can also cut down on office costs. Remote work for workers that work online is more feasible than for those with physical hands-on jobs on site.

The downsides of a more remote work force can be fewer face to face interactions, and less of a community. Some companies like Netflix are eager to return to full time work on site. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has said that working from home does not have any positive effects and makes debating ideas harder. At the same time, the company’s 8,600 employees do not have to return to the office until most of them had received an approved coronavirus vaccine. Vaccines by Moderna and Pfizer are now seeking FDA approval and will become available shortly to the general public.

Despite the return to office with the city’s approval, New York’s famously vibrant Manhattan is still operating at low capacity with many office buildings unoccupied and workers reluctant to come back in. Businesses that need employees on site from factories to restaurants and salons have struggled with changing demand and risks of outbreaks even with plexiglass barriers and other protections in place.