Employees working from home or on hybrid schedules — combining office and remote work — is likely here to stay.

WFH Research, a data collection project, revealed that workers completed six times more work remotely in January than during the same month three years ago.

The transition to remote work at the pandemic’s beginning was a seismic cultural shift for many businesses.

But for a few, it was work as usual.

HRMS, a Boulder-based company that provides a suite of software applications to manage human resources and related processes, has never had a traditional office.

“Since our inception in 2003 HRMS has had a 100% remote workforce,” says Sandi Mundt, HRMS marketing vice president. “We have never had a brick-and-mortar presence, and we see no reason or plans to change this business model and strategy going forward.”

Creating hybrid workspaces

Most employers have reopened their offices even though few require employees to work in them full-time.

Todd Narlinger, owner and founder of Madison & Co. Properties, says most of his real estate company staff is back in the office but can work from home as needed.

“I 1,000% believe in the ‘we’ vs. ‘me’ concept,” he says. “Together, WE can always do better.”

Many companies let employees decide whether to work remotely or in the office.

Renae Souza, senior vice president of people and culture for mortgage company New American Funding, says it offers a blended approach.

“Some employees work full-time in the office, some are entirely remote, and we have a large population participating in a hybrid model,” Souza says.

Boutique real estate firm West + Main prides itself on the company’s flexibility.

“West + Main has been able to navigate the changing atmosphere of offices and workspace really easily, because of the way my co-founder, Madeline Linder, and I set up operations from the beginning,” says Stacie Staub with West + Main.

“Our vision of storefront, boutique-style locations with fluid open floorplans and no dedicated desks allows every member of the company to use the spaces in the way that best suits their needs.”

Josh Deakin, Fidelity’s Denver general manager, says employees must spend five days per month in the office, but the rest of the time can work there or from home.

Bill Clawson, Progressive chief human resources officer, says the insurance company discovered during the pandemic that its physical spaces didn’t definite its culture.

“Most of our employees are working from home or in hybrid environments, with some days in the office; it’s really all about flexibility for our employees while still meeting the needs of customers,” he says.

Some employees enjoy the opportunity to work in an office.

“What’s interesting is that some employees are going into a local office that may not have anyone working in their same function, but they seek the opportunity to engage with their coworkers and experience our incredible culture in-person,” he says.

Reducing office footprint?

Many employers have no plans to reduce their office space.

“In Denver specifically, we have not reduced our office space,” Clawson says.

“We continually work to ensure our real estate footprint aligns with our business goals and work location strategies. We’ll continue to evaluate how office utilization impacts our real estate footprint and make decisions in the best interest of our people and optimizing our portfolio.”

Narlinger plans to keep his existing office space now but may consider reducing the company’s footprint in the future.

Deakin says despite letting employees primarily work from home, they have no plans to cut office space.

“We feel like our current footprint right for the number of employees.”