Remote work isn’t going anywhere. That’s the consensus from the majority of companies surveyed in a new report from JLL, which found that 53 percent said they will allow all employees the option to work remotely by 2025. An even larger share of companies, 77 percent, said they believe offering remote and hybrid working options will be “critical” to attracting and keeping talent. The results are part of JLL’s The Future of Work 2022 report, which asked more than 1,000 senior real estate executives around the world questions surrounding the return to office, hybrid and remote plans, and office space use.
JLL’s survey found that 24 percent of companies said they have already made remote work a permanent option for employees, while 30 percent said they planned to make it a permanent option by 2025. Pre-pandemic, 45 percent of employers did not offer a hybrid working option for employees. Today, just 9 percent of companies don’t offer a hybrid option. The next three years are expected to be a “critical phase” for companies as they figure out their commercial real estate strategy, according to the report. “After a period of rapid change comes an opportunity to pause and to think strategically about the future,” wrote JLL. “CRE leaders are now at that moment.”
The figures come on the heels of more big companies like Netflix announcing office space cutbacks and others calling employees back to the office. Last week, Apple informed employees they would need to come into the office at least three days a week starting in early September. Telecom giant AT&T also recently ordered employees to return to the office in September, but the request was met with backlash from employees, who filed a petition to make remote work options permanent. While research has clearly shown that most employees prefer to have remote and hybrid options, it remains to be seen whether companies like AT&T facing pushback from employees will eventually cave in to the pressure. But if JLL’s latest report is any indication, it’s only a matter of time.
