The balance of power will favour US workers into 2023

Significance

Last year, employee resistance, reinforced by tight labour markets, frustrated employer hopes for a return to the office. This year, employers are reluctantly accepting that remote working for some or all of the working week is permanent for most white-collar workers.

Impacts

• Labour shortages will remain most acute in in-person services, which are least amenable to remote or hybrid working.
• Experience of remote and hybrid working will lessen the resistance of executives who have never had to manage it before.
• Initial concerns of chief executives that remote working will decrease productivity and data security will continue to diminish.
• Businesses will need to adapt to accommodate remote and hybrid working.