There has been much debate over the relative productivity effects of working from home (WFH) versus office-based versus hybrid working. Companies who sought to reduce property expenses by switching to WFH have generally been disappointed by the resulting productivity delivered and quite a few have tried to encourage or even insist upon return to office-based working (RTO). Employees, perhaps not surprisingly, have proved difficult to entice back – they like the convenience and flexibility of WFH.
2026 is likely to see this battle of wills continue. Some think employers have the upper hand but it seems that many employees are willing to lose their job rather than RTO.
Unions also are willing to take the side of the work-from-homers, … especially public service unions.
So it is perhaps more even a battle than it at first seems.
Unfortunately, this looks like continuing the productivity stagnation of the last few years.