As the COVID crisis wears on, many global companies continue to offer a remote work environment and for the most part, have no immediate plans for returning to the office. In fact, two-thirds of major companies want to make their remote work policies permanent. At least for the interim, the coronavirus pandemic has forced the hand of many businesses in terms of embracing a work-from-home policy. They had to make quick transitions, but many are starting to realize that remote work is the future. There are now a wide variety of company announcements relaying an extension of their return-to-office deadlines or giving employees a choice to work from home indefinitely. For companies who already had a remote work infrastructure in place pre-pandemic, the transition was pretty smooth. For others, it was dizzying, but they are now noticing the benefits in terms of costs, flexibility, and even environmental advantages. At the same time, employees also enjoy the opportunity for an improved work-life balance.According to a Global Workplace Analytics survey, 77% of the 3,000 respondents say they feel “fully productive” and want to keep working remotely at least one day per week. The Global Workplace Analytics survey also stated that, “Twenty-five to thirty percent of the workforce will be working-from-home multiple days a week by the end of 2021.” In addition, Gallup poll researchers remarked, “Now that some of these employees may be able to return to their workplace, it appears only a quarter are emotionally ready. Another quarter are reluctant to return specifically because of concerns about contracting COVID-19, while half have a personal preference for working remotely.”With intelligent automation, and collaboration technologies such as Slack and Google Hangouts, it’s easier than ever for employees to stay in touch and in the loop.Invariably, employees also like the fact that they can avoid traffic, look after their kids attending virtual classes, and assist with family members who may be affected by COVID. For employers, they are realizing the cost savings opportunities that come with minimizing the expenses associated with office spaces such as long-term leases and land purchases. Moreover, an increasing number of businesses are adopting an entirely remote or remote-first policy.Below are 20 companies that have recently switched to long-term remote work as a business strategy.
