Remote or in-office? The solution is hybrid!

There are those against remote work...

Last year, Tesla's CEO, Elon Musk, expressed harsh criticism against the digital class (which he called the laptop class), accusing them of living in "la-la land" and adding that working from home, remotely or hybrid, is not only unproductive but also morally wrong.

...and there are those who can't wait for it!

However, many consider something else morally wrong: being forced to sit in traffic for two hours a day 🚗🚙🚕, when your job could be done from home, remotely or hybrid, closer to your children and other important things in life.

A debate spanning years 🧓🏼

For years now, those in favor of returning to the office have clashed with those who want to go all-in remote. Since the pandemic, managers have generally leaned towards the first option, while employees have preferred the second. But after pulling the rope 🪢 for so long, it broke in the middle: welcome to the era of hybrid work.

Before the pandemic 🦠

Before the pandemic, about 7% of people worked remotely, mostly freelancers and developers. During the pandemic (2019-2022), this percentage skyrocketed, with around 60% of people working remotely. In the post-pandemic period (2023-2024), this number has decreased to pre-pandemic levels, but the real novelty is the approximately 30% of workers who have started working in a hybrid model: partly at home, partly in the office.

How many want hybrid work?

It seems a large portion of the population wants hybrid work: about 83%. In this group are almost all Gen Z and Millennials, while Gen X (born between 1965 and 1980) remains more skeptical.

Why choose hybrid work? 🤔

People who work in a hybrid model enjoy the advantages of both modes (in-office and remote):

• They can avoid hours of traffic, at least a few days a week.
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• They can dedicate more time to family and personal care (time recovered from commuting).
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• They report better mental well-being and are more eager to return to the office when needed.
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• They can still socialize deeply with colleagues during lunch/coffee breaks at least a few days a week.
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• They have more flexibility in setting their work hours (some prefer to finish everything in the morning, others in the evening; some work best in one stretch, while others need an afternoon break).
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• They can take small trips/long weekends in "workation" mode, working during the day and enjoying vacation time in the afternoon/evening.
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• They are less likely to quit their jobs, saving companies significant costs.
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• And much, much more...

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Sorry Elon, but we love hybrid!

Almost everything can be done by spending a few days in the office and a few days at home with hybrid work. Even at Wibo, we offer our high-quality management training entirely remotely... and the results speak for themselves. So let’s keep fighting for the option to work from home a few days a week. 🏡

Do you agree? See you next time! 👋