Remote Work: The Good, The Bad, and The Future
When I was in high school, I never imagined having a job where I can work from home unless I was an entrepreneur, writer, or musician. Fast forward to college, and suddenly, working from home became the new normal for many, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Companies faced a massive challenge: how do we keep operations running during a global crisis? The answer was a simple, but groundbreaking let the employees work from home.
If the pandemic had been resolved in a few months, remote work might have never gained traction. But with lockdowns stretching into 2022, people adapted, routines changed, and the traditional office setting took a back seat. Now, in 2025, remote work isn’t just surviving - it’s thriving.
Google Trends data shows that searches for “remote work” have nearly doubled since 2020, and interest continues to climb. But this isn’t because remote jobs are becoming more available. It’s because people are searching harder for them as “RTO” - Return to Office- mandates increase. In fact, Google searches for “RTO” spiked significantly in 2025. Potential foreshadowing of the future for remote work. But what are the trends? The Flex Index released a new report that examines different patterns in remote work across the U.S. in 2024 across different locations and industries. The report covered over 9,000 companies with a total employee count over 100 million. Here’s what they found:
The Office is Losing Popularity
Only 31% of employers now require full-time in-office attendance. Which is actually a decrease of 4% from the previous year. It’s clear that the traditional office model may be fading.
Hybrid is the New Standard
At my current company, we split the week between in-office and remote days. Personally, I think it’s the best structure - and 37% of employers seem to agree.
Insurance Companies are Surprisingly Flexible
While tech leads in remote work, insurance companies aren’t far behind with a whopping 93% offering remote or hybrid schedules.
The West is Best
Western states like California, Colorado and Washington lead in flexible work arrangements. The least flexible? The South, stretching from Texas to Virginia. If you’re job-hunting for remote roles, it might be wise to look west.
According to USA TODAY Blueprint survey of over 600 remote workers, the top benefits include:
Better work-life balance
Saving time on commuting
A more comfortable work environment
The challenges they saw were isolation from teams at work and fewer training opportunities. This could be a signal to companies to host more virtual team-building opportunities. This is why I think hybrid work is the best of both worlds. It provides flexibility without sacrificing connection. Plus, if a job can be done remotely, why not at least give employees the option?
The data on productivity is mixed too, mostly because it’s challenging to measure. But let’s look at corporate profits, they have continuously broke records year after year even with inflation. So, can we really say remote work is hurting progress? I don’t think so. The real kicker too, is that while companies have maintained record high profits, employee wages have had a negligible increase in salary. It is also important to note that productivity may also be relevant to your role or industry.
At this point, whether to allow remote work feels like a leadership decision driven by personal preference. What does the future hold? It’s hard to say. Tech giants are pushing harder for RTO, but hybrid models continue to dominate. For now, it’s safe to say that remote work options aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.
So, where do you stand? Remote, hybrid, or full-time in-office? The future of work might just depend on it.