If you’re working from home, you’re not alone. It seems work from home has become the new norm, alongside hybrid work models, with fewer and fewer CEOs demanding staff return to the office (RTO) five days per week. According to a recent Axios article, a Conference Board survey conducted in the autumn of last year found just six out of 158 U.S. CEOs surveyed are demanding RTO for the entire work week.

Of course last year there was a rumble up in the C-Suite, with top executives, including Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, putting RTO at the top of their to-do lists. In July 2023, Dimon made his desire to see staff return to JPMorgan Chase offices unambiguous: “I completely understand why someone doesn’t want to commute an hour and a half every day. Totally get it... Doesn’t mean they have to have a job here, either.” Yet, as of the turn of the year, JPMorgan Chase is still operating a hybrid model for many staff members, with only senior executives required to be on-site five days per week.

27 percent of the CEOs who responded to the Conference Board survey cited maintaining hybrid work as a priority in 2024. Axios also reported a survey by Deloitte in November 2023 found that 65 percent of CFOs expect their companies to provide employees with hybrid work arrangements.

Axios also cited a recent note from economists at Goldman Sachs, who wrote: "remote work appears likely to be the most persistent economic legacy of the pandemic." According to Goldman data, about one in four U.S. workers are now working from home. This is far less than the 47 percent of employees who worked from home during the pandemic, but far more than the three percent working from home before 2020.

Brian Elliott, co-founder of Future Forum, a future of work think tank, told Axios that even though the labor market has softened, companies remain concerned about keeping their teams happy and retaining talent. "There are a lot more CEOs that are actually quietly becoming more flexible."

Per Axios, the pandemic forced companies worldwide to experiment with remote and flexible work. This “mass experiment proved what was possible and likely changed the way we work for the long-term.”

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About Vodia Networks, Inc. 

Vodia Networks, Inc. is a pioneering provider of B2B Cloud Communications Solutions catering to enterprises, contact centers and service providers. Vodia's PBX software boasts an extensive suite of business telephony features for on-premise and cloud-based systems and operates seamlessly across Windows, Linux or Mac platforms. Fully compliant with SIP industry standards, the Vodia phone system integrates effortlessly with a wide range of SIP-based devices and trunking providers, granting ultimate freedom in telephony. Vodia’s multi-tenancy platforms are compatible with an unprecedented number of technologies, including desk phones, softphones and APIs, for myriad third-party software and CRM systems. Our mission is to empower our partners and end-users with the world's best cloud PBX and personalized support to ensure their success at every turn. Visit Vodia on LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.