In 2024, the number of people working mostly in-person doubled compared to the previous year, according to a McKinsey survey.

This shift is largely attributed to a cooling job market, which has given employers more leverage to enforce return-to-office (RTO) policies. Many senior leaders think productivity is better achieved in-office, although research on this yields mixed results.

McKinsey's Brooke Weddle noted a surge in executive interest in RTO, with multiple leaders reaching out about it in a single day. The survey, conducted in October with more than 8,400 employees across 15 industries, reflects a growing push for in-person work that has only intensified since then.

Despite the push, many workplaces still lack the space to accommodate everyone, and flexibility remains common.

McKinsey's survey asked whether people were "mostly" in-person or remote to capture this nuance. Other data supports this hybrid reality, with office occupancy on Fridays averaging just 36.7 percent of pre-pandemic levels, compared to 63 percent on Tuesdays.

Source: https://www.msn.com/en-ie/money/career/in-person-work-doubled-over-the-past-year-survey-finds/ar-AA1z2NVW?apiversion=v2&noservercache=1&domshim=1&renderwebcomponents=1&wcseo=1&batchservertelemetry=1&noservertelemetry=1

So, the question for our readers is: Are In-Person Work Requirements Gaining Momentum?

Here is the opinion of one of the McCalmon editorial staff:

Jack McCalmon, Esq.

It does appear there is a momentum shift. However, in the end, lack of office space and the fact that most employees want flexibility where they work means that the push for full-time, in-person work will likely top out in a few years. In the end, those organizations that provide flexibility will have a significant recruiting advantage over those that do not.

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