Now, an equally widespread disruption is underway in the form of hybrid work: while some organizations are insisting workers return to the office full-time, many are prepping for a new normal where employees spend some days in the office and some days working remotely, with a combination of virtual and in-person meetings and collaboration. And a December 2020 survey by PwC found that 34% of employees said they were more productive than before the pandemic, while over half of executives said average employee productivity had improved. An April 2021 study from the Becker Friedman Institute at the University of Chicago examined companies’ post-covid remote work plans and found a predicted productivity boost of 5% for the US economy. Skepticism about how productive employees could be if they worked from home also eroded.
