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The home office is at risk. Top CEOs are following Elon Musk's vision, seeing in-person work as necessary and rewarding.
O remote work, a practice that exploded during the pandemic, may have its days numbered.
In the most recent study by the consultancy KPMG, the “CEO Outlook“Executives at major global companies have revealed growing support for employees returning fully to the physical office environment.
The survey, which surveyed more than 1.300 CEOs, highlighted a clear trend: the home office era is under threat, with many leaders following the example of figures like Elon Musk.
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And the reasons for this pressure? The search for greater control and engagement, in addition to a surprising reward policy for those who are present daily.
The survey indicates that 79% of US CEOs believe that work that was previously mostly office-based will return to being done physically by 2027.
This number jumped significantly from the 34% recorded at the beginning of the year.
The focus on hybrid models fell from 46% to 17%, while only 4% expect roles to remain fully remote.
Pressure for in-person return has intensified, and some giants, such as Amazon, Dell and Salesforce, already require employees to be in the office at least some days a week.
Elon Musk and the end of the home office
Elon Musk's critical view of the remote work seems to have inspired other business leaders.
The CEO of Tesla and SpaceX went as far as to say that working from home is “nonsense” and demanded that Tesla employees return to the office, threatening to fire anyone who insisted on working remotely.
Musk's attitude, known for being incisive, not only shook the market, but also resonated among other CEOs, generating a wave of returns to the office among large corporations.
In Musk's case, his decision reflects a belief that physical presence is essential to performance and teamwork, and now many other business leaders appear to share that view.
For these CEOs, the office is still the most efficient place for collaboration, innovation and direct supervision of teams..
Rewards for those who work in the office
According to the KPMG study, 86% of CEOs said they will reward employees who choose to work in the office with promotions, raises and new opportunities.
In an unexpected twist, these rewards may not be awarded based on results or productivity, but rather on physical presence.
The plan is to ensure that those who contribute in person receive better opportunities in their careers, while those who choose to work from home may see their chances of promotion reduced.
In Europe, some companies are even suggesting a salary differential for those who work remotely.
In other words, working from home can not only limit the chances of professional growth, but also reduce the earnings of those who choose to do it.
Why does returning to the office matter so much?
KPMG’s research also examined the concept of “compound volatility,” which includes economic and political risks and increases management costs and challenges.
In this context, CEOs are seeking greater control over their teams to face risks and challenges in an uncertain scenario.
Cybersecurity issues and the use of artificial intelligence also weigh on decisions, with fears that remote working could expose companies to vulnerabilities.
Additionally, corporate leaders view the physical work environment as more suitable for training, monitoring and developing essential skills among employees.
Personal contact can facilitate faster exchanges and create an environment of mutual learning.
Is the hybrid model losing steam?
The hybrid model, which has established itself as an intermediate solution during the post-pandemic period, is facing a decline in preference among CEOs.
Flexibility, which was essential during the pandemic adaptation, is starting to lose ground, with only 17% of US CEOs planning to adopt a hybrid model, compared to 46% in early 2024.
Well-known companies like Amazon and Salesforce have recently abandoned hybrid work arrangements and required employees to return to the office.
Companies that were born in the home office, such as Nothing, also began to demand a more in-person model.
CEO Carl Pei, for example, restructured the company's routine, requiring employees from important sectors to be present at least some days a week.
The future of remote work in Brazil and the world
While adoption of the return to the office varies globally, the movement is gaining momentum in the US and Europe, which could impact practices in Brazil and other countries.
Remote work, which promised to become the new normal, is now facing growing resistance, and executives’ desire for proximity and control must prevail.
The question now is: To what extent will home office have a place in the future of large corporations?
For many workers, the ability to work remotely has provided unprecedented freedom, and the move to a full return to the office can be seen as a step backwards.
However, for CEOs, the need to have engaged and supervised teams in controlled environments appears to be a priority.
What do you think? Is it fair to reward only those who are in the office, or should remote efforts also be valued?
After PGD came into existence, public servants in particular do not keep to their hours and working in the public service has become a piece of cake.
You are definitely one of the people who can't get approved in the public service! Because these people definitely work hard. Go study and you can do it too.
Exactly!
And there's one thing I don't understand.
There are many ways to verify who works or not, but instead of doing that, they use those who don't work to say that everyone is equal.
Every public company has a deficit. Is it due to incompetence, parasitism, job hoarding or all of the above? The exception is banks, which are government coffers. Proof of this is that **** countries (Russia/China…) only grew after having privatized most of their economy.
Dude, I'm sorry, but you don't know what you're talking about. Saying that countries like China and Russia have privatized public services is very naive. Putting a state-owned company in the name of a submissive Joe doesn't make it free. If you don't know, if one of these "pseudo owners" does something that displeases the government, they either have to sell the company or disappear forever. So along the same lines, you being a submissive Joe, maybe you want to do the right thing, so as not to get involved.
Perhaps then we should have elections with only one party, or only one candidate.
Why don't you research what public service is like in countries like Germany, Switzerland, Japan, France, and then you can give your opinion when you understand a little more about the subject.
Hi Leninha, public servants are not exactly what the media wants us to believe. They do work hard. Hugs
In Brazil?
I'm a civil servant, there really are some hot people who work hard, people who have passed public exams, but unfortunately there are a lot of parasites put in there by politicians, these parasites hold everyone back, society and good civil servants.
Geez, only if you're a rotten papaya. The pressure is high in the public service. With this comment I hope you never enter the public service.
No.there is no going back
With the return of in-person work comes the return of stress in traffic, meals in restaurants, higher fuel costs, greater wear and tear on the car and less dedication to family, but for those who manufacture cars it is wonderful…
For some, working from home is much more exhausting. The overlapping obligations consume all of your time and at the end of the day, you continue working.
OK
Let them work in person then.
Because the way the subject is presented it seems like everyone has this problem.
I hope that competent entrepreneurs explore the potential of this form of work, and that they create companies that outperform these others, especially this fraudster Elon Musk.
This guy called Elon recently fired over a thousand employees just because he wanted to. He's the last one who's going to think about his employees, he's a **** and there are bootlickers he defends. What he wants is for his employees to get screwed.
Guys, it's not quite like that, there's no point in crying. Remote work should be much cheaper, however, there are risks, especially cyber risks. You are employees, it's easy to criticize.
Another one… Do you think it’s just Musk who’s complaining? Like his colleague, magnates in the food, hotel and transportation industries are also losing out. Elon won’t even sell his electric cars if people stay home lol.
So he's not the only one. Just maybe he's the only one who's spoken out.
Let them adapt
I work on hybrid, it's great 👍
Exactly, commerce in general loses a lot with people working from home, all sectors lose revenue, food, clothing, automobiles, perfumes, fuel and footwear industries and all sectors in general. Furthermore, they contribute to individualism where tolerance and empathy are not worked on in everyday life.
I know people who work from home and spend the whole day in their pajamas. LOL
This is not true, as local businesses are strengthened by working from home. And the sectors that are affected by this are part of it, as the evolution of civilization has always caused the end of some professions, but created others. Everything changes.
Cyber risks exist everywhere, whether in-person or working from home. But in offices, they will be even more so, especially if CEOs continue to backtrack, as unhappy employees will be a major risk. For the rest of the companies working from home, VPNs and security practices solve the problem.
Nothing compares to working under supervision in terms of results. Although this may seem like a small detail to responsible employees, I haven't asked a single company that says that performance has improved with the adoption of hybrid work. Companies still adopt this regime due to pressure from employees and the market, but productivity is not the same.
Maybe you're talking about hybrid work, because having to go to the office a few days when you don't need to is really terrible. LOL. But if you're talking about working from home, productivity is much higher for those who like to work that way (most of them). In the company where I work and in many others, productivity is still great.
But the issue was never productivity, but rather the desire for control, which is satisfied by seeing employees in person, especially if they can’t have a life outside of work. “Where have you ever seen an employee have a good life?” say these backward CEOs.
Of course, those who work from home should have their work recognized, depending on their productivity. This is the guiding element for the results obtained. We must not forget to measure fixed costs; if there was an increase or reduction, naturally, the assessment of the two elements mentioned above must be taken into account.
Productivity and cost reduction must be taken into account to analyze both results together.
And security, right? People who use the same PC to work and watch porn movies get complicated, lol, my husband works with a company computer, exclusive and protected just for her.
But this happens in person too, huh? I still remember one day, we were in a face-to-face meeting with the manager and the “click here to grow your…” popups were spamming the screen lol
remote effort should be valued.
we have to fight for what is ours.