Some corporate leaders say remote work is a “Covid-era privilege,” deploying return-to-office (RTO) mandates, and others are following suit. But experts insist that “work from anywhere isn’t going anywhere” in 2025 because it’s best for employees and boosts company profits. The day-to-day workforce is simply happier with remote work because there is more life to live outside of work. Plus, a new science-backed study indicates that remote jobs offer companies a bigger bang for their buck.

Research Finds Remote Jobs Boost Company Profits

A new research study from Bospar, the “politely pushy” PR firm, finds that remote jobs are best for a business’s bottom line. Bospar partnered with Reputation Leaders and Propeller Insights to explore the impact of remote work.

Bospar commissioned Propeller Insights to conduct the groundbreaking December 2024 survey of 1,051 American employees. The findings reveal significant productivity and business advantages of remote jobs, showing that working from home delivers superior business outcomes while benefiting the planet and improving work-life balance. Key findings are below:

• 61% report being more productive working from home.
• 34% maintain equal productivity levels at home versus in office.
• 5% report lower productivity at home.
• 87.5% have established dedicated home work spaces.
• 81.4% report improved work-life balance.

A companion study by Reputation Leaders found significant business risks for companies mandating office returns:

• 73% of consumers would be less likely to purchase from companies requiring full-time office work.
• 63% would be less likely to apply for jobs without remote job options.
• 60% believe companies should encourage remote jobs to reduce environmental impact.

“Companies enforcing mandatory return-to-office policies face clear risks to both employee productivity and market position,” states Laurence Evans, CEO of Reputation Leaders. “Our research shows that workplace flexibility has become a key driver of consumer behavior and brand reputation, with many Americans ready to vote with their wallets against companies that force office returns against employees’ will.”

Curtis Sparrer, principal and co-founder of Bospar also spoke about the research results. “Working from home just works better—especially for a company’s bottom line,” he insists. “By investing in people and not buildings you can effortlessly scale your workforce and your footprint.”

Sparrer adds that remote jobs cut down on office-wide sick-outs, as he calls them, “caused by some Typhoid Mary (or Marvin) bringing in the latest contagious illness.” But he admits it’s more than just that. “Our research proves that 95% of employees maintain or exceed their office productivity levels when working from home, with 61% reporting higher productivity.”

“Then there’s the talent angle,” he adds. “The most talented members of the workforce don’t want to be shackled to an office. They want to set their own terms. In fact, 63% of people revealed they were less likely to apply for jobs without remote work options. That translates to employee well-being and satisfaction: 81.4% report better work-life balance, which typically correlates with higher retention rates and lower burnout.”

Sparer also notes that companies risk losing customers by mandating a return to office: 73% of consumers say they’re less likely to buy from companies requiring full-time office work. Plus, a majority of customers (60%) say they value companies that encourage remote work for environmental reasons. “Ultimately our data suggests that remote work isn’t just an employee preference—it’s becoming a business imperative,” he concludes.

Additional research supports the Buspar study. Owl Labs 2024 State of Hybrid Work report surveyed 2,000 full-time workers in the U.S. and offers insight into what employees value most and what companies should prioritize in 2025. For starters, employees say having a “green flag boss” is almost as important as their salaries. Only 33% of employees say their company’s hybrid work plan matches their preferences.

A Case In Support Of Remote Jobs

As companies around the world—including Amazon and ASDA—adopt RTO policies, Spotify’s HR chief of human resources officer, Katarina Berg, advocate for an opposite direction, asserting that their employees aren’t “children.” While tech giants and corporations push for in-person collaboration, Spotify’s commitment to its “Work From Anywhere” policy emphasizes a contrasting approach to workplace flexibility.

Other experts are questioning the reintroduction of RTO mandates or if it’s even worth it. Guy Thornton, founder of Practice Aptitude Tests, offers his expert insight into why more companies are opting for workers to return to office and how this could do more harm than good for businesses.

According to Thornton, “The hybrid working model was introduced globally as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, which forced many companies to rapidly shift to remote work. As businesses adapted to the new normal, the hybrid model emerged as a compromise between fully remote and traditional office work.”

He cites a study that shows that the hybrid working model increased productivity in the workplace by 48.8%, in addition to lowering business costs and increasing employee retention, and he asks why are employers choosing to revert to pre-pandemic work models?

“When employees feel they are constantly being watched, it can erode trust between them and their employers,” Thornton insists. “A lack of trust can then lead to disengagement amongst employees, as well as reduced motivation and lower overall morale, which ironically can affect productivity.“

“It can also blur the line between work and personal life,” Thornton adds. “If employees are being micromanaged consistently, they may feel significant pressure to meet targets and get tasks done as a means to try and please their managers. When the focus shifts to monitoring every detail of employee activity, it can lead to a compliance-orientated culture where employees are more concerned with meeting monitoring criteria than actually succeeding for both themselves and the company.”

He believes these actions make staff feel less valued and more like a cog in a machine. “In turn,” he argues, “changes in work conditions can have more negative effects than positive ones. The more hostile the environment becomes, the higher the employee turnover rate will tend to be, with statistics showing that 69% of people surveyed who have experienced micromanagement say it made them consider changing jobs.”

On the heels of the RTO trend, the 2024 Owl Labs State of Hybrid Work report contradicts the belief that everyone’s back in the office. Their findings show that full-time in-office work decreased six percent between 2023 and 2024 and that hybrid and remote jobs are actually on the rise.