One-Third of U.S. Companies Ban Remote Work as Study Ties Mandates to Bosses' Ego
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 22
One-Third of U.S. Companies Ban Remote Work as Study Ties Mandates to Bosses' Ego
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 22
Summary
A third of U.S. companies have required employees back in the office full time, eliminating remote and hybrid options after many workers expected at least partial flexibility to remain.
Six years of research cited in the report found leaders' opposition to work-from-home did not track trust in employees or sociability; the consistent predictor was narcissism and a stronger desire for power and status.
Fortune 500 chief executives who scored higher on proxy measures such as larger pay packages, signatures and annual-report photos were also more likely to criticize remote work during the pandemic's first two years.
An experiment reinforced the link: leaders prompted to reflect on assertive, ego-driven models like Steve Jobs and Larry Ellison became more likely to oppose remote work, suggesting the relationship is causal rather than incidental.