Uber told employees today it will let people work remotely half the time, the latest example of a company fine-tuning its remote work policies as a return to the office gets closer. Uber’s policy, allowing more remote work than planned just a few months ago, is to go into effect in September. Based on anecdotal evidence, that month appears to be the point when many white-collar employees are expected back in the office. The deadline appears to be fueling a gnashing of teeth among many people, who have discovered they like working from home and don’t want to return to commuting.
But there is no consensus on what people really want. This recent Bloomberg report said young people recognize the value of working in the office, contradicting this report saying the opposite. Then there’s this CNBC report today that suggested employees are threatening to quit if they can’t work remotely. Yet at the same time, we’re also seeing reports that people are concerned a hybrid work environment will promote inequality, as those who do work from the office gain an advantage over those who don’t.