During the pandemic, US employers embraced the new––and necessary––normal of working from home. But in the past year, the situation has begun changing rapidly. Major employers like Disney and Amazon have been moving employees back into the office for a few days a week––while over at Twitter, last November Elon Musk scrapped its work from home policy.

As for what the wider landscape looks like in the US, a recent study from Pew Research Center shows that while the number of solely remote workers is dropping, hybrid working is becoming increasingly attractive.

Three years on from the pandemic, the report finds that around 14 percent of all employed adults aged over 18 in the US––about 22 million people––are currently working from home all the time.

Of course, not every job has hybrid or remote potential, and the majority of US workers (61 percent) don’t have jobs with that option open to them. Before the pandemic in 2020, just 7 percent of US workers with remote-possible jobs were working at home all the time.

Today, just over a third of them (35 percent) are still working from home all the time. That percentage has been dropping––in January 2022, it stood at 43 percent, while in October 2020 it was 55 percent.

Going hybrid

As Cydney H Dupree pointed out in this op-ed for The Hill, remote work can benefit specific groupings of employees in particular, such as Black employees. Meanwhile, it can also benefit the environment, as Dr John Williams noted late last year.

But there are reasons why people might want to return to the office: for example, in-person socialization and interaction, which can help with mentorship and career development.

Perhaps this is why we’re seeing the figures for hybrid working go in the opposite direction to remote work, as people find a balance between remote and office. Pew’s study found that of those with applicable jobs, 41 percent of people are working in a hybrid way. This figure has jumped from 35 percent in January 2022.

Regarding the benefits, 71 percent of people who work from home all, most or some of the time say it helps them balance their work and personal lives. Just over half (56 percent) of people in that situation say it helps them get their work done and meet their deadlines.

Pushing back

As companies begin to enforce return-to-office mandates, some employees are pushing back. Gleb Tsipursky writes in Entrepreneur that one effect is empowered labor unions, particularly in the wake of recent mass layoffs at major tech companies.

He details how YouTube Music contractors in Texas went on strike protesting a return-to-office announcement––most of them had always worked remotely as they were hired during the pandemic.

Meanwhile, after Disney’s return-to-office mandate was introduced, more than 2,300 employees signed a petition against the plan.

Flexibility

Data from Future Forum shows that workers who have flexibility regarding location report 4 percent higher productivity scores than workers in the office full-time.

Schedule flexibility can lead to even more benefits––workers with fully flexible schedules report 29 percent higher productivity than workers who have no flexibility, and they also say that they have 53 percent greater ability to focus.

If you’re looking to move into a hybrid or remote role, there are plenty of options out there. Here are three roles currently hiring, with more to find on the The Hill Job Board.

.NET Solutions Architect, Red Cross, Washington

The American Red Cross is seeking a .NET Solutions Architect who could work 100% from home anywhere in the US, they’d just have to keep to an East Coast schedule. The humanitarian organization is looking for an experienced .Net Architect who would take a leading role in the overall architecture and technical ownership of an internal gift management platform. Find the full details here.

Senior Manager, Tax, Paypal, New York

Payments company PayPal is seeking a senior manager of US International Tax to join its Global Income Tax Compliance and Reporting Team. The location is flexible, and fully remote/virtual will be considered. The role would involve being responsible for US international tax compliance and reporting; being responsible for calculating the US tax cost on foreign operations for quarterly effective tax rate purposes for CFCs; and training and mentoring direct reports. Read the full job spec and requirements here.

Senior Cloud Security Engineer, VP, GreenSky, Atlanta

This remote role at GreenSky, a Goldman Sachs company, would include designing/creating and executing security controls and defenses to prevent insider threat or external attacks. The ideal hire could work in a multi-cloud environment and be able to engage directly with software developers. Find out more about this role and the required skills and qualifications here.

For more remote and hybrid roles like these right across the country, check out The Hill Jobs Board