What's next for remote and hybrid work?

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, remote work surged. And many employees came to appreciate how working from home can make it easier to juggle home and job responsibilities.

Minnesota has the highest rate of people working remotely in the Midwest, according to the Minneapolis Federal Reserve. More than a third of workers in the state worked at home at least part time in 2023.

But now, five years after the pandemic, the great experiment of remote work is shaking out. More employers are calling workers back to the office. On Monday, tens of thousands of state employees who had been working remotely are returning to work in person at least 50 percent of the time, complying with a return-to-office order from Governor Tim Walz. Some private companies, such as 3M and Medtronic, also are dialing back their work-from-home policies and President Donald Trump has sought to end remote work for federal workers.

Coming up at 9 a.m. on Monday, MPR News host Angela Davis discusses what we’ve learned about remote work — when it works and when it doesn’t — and what its future might be.

 We want to hear from you, too.

What’s been your experience of remote work? How do you describe the pros and cons?

Call us during the 9 a.m. hour at 651-227-6000 or 800-242-2828.

Guests:

• Chris Farrell is a senior economics contributor for MPR News and Marketplace.  

• Colleen Flaherty Manchester is a professor and faculty director of the Center for Human Resources and Labor Studies in the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. She studies flexible work and other benefits and programs offered by employers. 

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