Amazon’s announcement in late September that it would require its employees to return to its offices full-time was only the most high-profile example of a trend rapidly overtaking the American workforce. And it’s only going to get more so over the next three years.
A new survey from KPMG, the big consulting firm, says that 79 percent of American corporate CEOs predict that workforces will be returning back to their pre-pandemic in-office levels within the next three years. KPMG says this compares with only 34 percent believing this to be true just a few short months ago. And it stands against the current situation where 53 percent of Americans work from home at least some of the time.
The surveyed CEOs seemed to be influenced by the softening in the labor market and big companies, like Amazon, taking the lead on the return-to-office movement after previously being more flexible. Close to nine out of ten – 86 percent – said “they would reward in-office employees with plum assignments, raises and promotions”, according to an Inc. magazine report on the survey. “That suggests they intend to withhold those same things from employees who choose to work from home.”
These companies seem to be indicating they are willing to let go employees who don’t return to offices, the report suggests. If that’s the case, Inc. wrote, “the continuing rollback of remote work options at larger employers creates a rare opportunity for startups and smaller employers to recruit employees who have sought-after skills. If you're willing to let people work at home at least one or two days a week, you can offer them a perk they really, really want, and that will cost you nothing at all.”