Where Does Remote Work Stand in 2022?

With the Omicron variant on the rise, employees and companies struggle to find a solution where everyone should be working. With high vaccination rates, some companies returned to the office, and a handful of companies are staying remote indefinitely. The holidays are only around the corner, leaving many people scrambling to find the solution to the pandemic. 

Unfortunately, there will never be the perfect “right time” to return to the office. Viruses are always spreading, especially during the winter months. A LinkedIn study found that nearly 50% of individuals returned to the office full-time, while 34% of companies will continue to work remotely, and 15% are on a hybrid schedule.

At this point, we were all hoping that we could put the pandemic to rest, but unfortunately, we are not yet at the light at the end of the tunnel. With a large portion of the population still unvaccinated, we will continue to see variants of COVID-19 that are stronger and spread faster than the original Alpha strain. 

It is wise that companies take whatever precautions necessary to protect employees from getting and spreading the new variant(s) by putting the wellbeing of the employees first. As cities are yet again implementing stricter vaccination requirements for events and dining, companies should be taking similar measures. 

Most individuals are going home to see their families, friends, and loved ones from Christmas through New Year, so we recommend companies mandate masks and social distancing if returning to the office. Even vaccinated individuals can get covid, and the new strain brings a lot of uneasiness due to the lack of proper information about its strength and how it spreads. 

Remote and hybrid work should continue to be an option for employees, and it should be especially so during the winter months. It can feel frustrating to return home from recently rejoining the office, but put employee’s health first. 

We hope everyone has a happy holidays and stays safe while traveling and seeing friends and family.