By David Larson
Many across the country are working from home this Christmas week. For some, it’s because, despite being “on vacation,” they still have to check in to put out the occasional fire. But others are working from home because that’s their usual arrangement. In the Triangle area, we have an especially high number of the latter category. Cary actually has the highest percentage of remote workers in the country, at 41%. Nationally, 80% of companies now, to some degree, allow employees to work remotely.
This massive shift from decades past, which accelerated during the pandemic, has not come without controversy. Many of those who run major businesses and organizations, including Elon Musk, believe it has had a detrimental impact overall.
In a Wall Street Journal op ed, Musk and his fellow Department of Government Efficiency director Vivek Ramaswamy said it was time to reconsider remote work for federal agencies. They suggested that ending it would likely lead to many workers quitting, too, which would reduce the federal workforce by attrition. But are they right to view remote workers as slackers or as a drain on taxpayers compared to their in-office counterparts?
Studies on the impact of remote work are mixed, with some showing it improves and others harms worker productivity. One of the larger studies on the matter, done this year by Stanford University economist Nicholas Bloom, suggests that a hybrid work schedule, allowing both time in the office and remote work every week, did not affect productivity one way or the other. Bloom considered it an overall positive though because it greatly improved worker satisfaction and retention. This suggests Musk’s predictions about federal workers leaving in droves if he axes remote work may prove accurate.
All told, companies that allow a hybrid schedule saw 33% better retention rates for their employees. In an economy where skilled labor is in short supply, that is a major advantage. Musk’s concerns about maintaining corporate culture and in-person meetings can be assuaged some in this hybrid model too, since they will still be present some each week. This balance between healthy interpersonal culture and employee satisfaction appears to be the sweet spot for many employers.
As someone who has a hybrid schedule, I certainly appreciate the flexibility. On a good day, getting from Hillsborough to Raleigh takes 45 minutes during rush hour. I have two (soon to be three) children, who need to go various places in the mornings. Being able to take my kids to daycare in Mebane at 8:15 am then start working at a coffee shop nearby at 8:30, rather than driving to Raleigh and starting work at 9 (or, let’s be real, 9:15 once I say hello to the people between the door and my office), saves about 45 minutes of productivity.
And, because I don’t go in every day, I really look forward to my days in the office, where I can catch up with coworkers on our big picture and maintain rapport. But if I made the drive in five days a week, it would likely feel different.
Musk is right to want to create more accountability for those federal workers who never step foot in an office, but there are benefits to remote work he may not be seeing. If it’s really a goal of DOGE to move some federal agencies away from DC — in order to save on office space and reduce concentrated power — remote work need not be an enemy. These workers already save office space and may live outside DC.
And it’s not hard to see the benefits to private sector companies too, as the vast majority allow at least some remote work. In addition to retaining current employees and saving on office space, they are also able to attract more, and therefore better-quality, candidates for new positions, since they won’t be required to relocate. Employees that are happy and thriving are more likely to stick around, and that means fewer vacancies and new workers to be trained.
The Research Triangle area is proof that, when done right, remote work can be a net positive. Our economy is booming in the area, more people are moving here every day, and more than four-of-10 workers in the Cary area (where many of these research and technology workers live) are contributing to this success from their homes (or a coffee shop, coworking space, or library). At the very least, it seems like remote work is here to stay, so employers should learn how to create systems for balance and accountability that optimize this new paradigm.
David Larson is opinion editor of Carolina Journal.
