NPR reported that just last month, after more than 1000 current and former employees signed an open letter, apple decided to postpone its plan to ask employees to return to the office. It is reported that the letter said that the plan launched by Apple was inefficient and inflexible, which was a waste of time. "Don't think of us as pupils who need to be told when, where and what homework to do," the letter said This is another evidence of the shift in the balance of power between management and ordinary employees.
It is understood that when companies worry that their employees may leave, they find it difficult to implement unpopular policies and regulations. Google Maps employees employed by the technology company cognizant also decided to fight back. They established contact with the alphabet Union and signed a petition, in which they listed their concerns about covid, the cost of commuting in $5 gasoline, and the productivity and morale improvement experienced by employees working from home.
Even as some companies seek to restore some form of office life, others are asking -- what is the purpose of returning to the office?
NPR's reporter also visited a management consulting company. Their new human resources worker (who started working in May) said, "it's hard to imagine even 100% entering the office. I don't think I can do it anymore."
On Saturday, the New York Times also reported that some business leaders "may find themselves struggling with a cultural change beyond their control."
If the more than two-year remote work experiment of the pandemic has taught people anything, it is that many people can gain something outside the office, and a considerable number of people will be happier doing so.
Even if the pandemic has changed direction, there are signs that the trend towards working from home is actually accelerating. A recent survey released by the National Bureau of economic research found that employers now say they will allow employees to work at home for an average of 2.3 days a week, an increase from 1.5 days in the summer of 2020.
It's not just about the office -- it's about commuting. The Wall Street Journal reported this week that during the pandemic, the average one-way commuting time of almost all major cities with the largest decline in office occupancy was more than 30 minutes, while the commuting time of most cities with the smallest decline was shorter.