In this article, we’ll update you on the status of remote work and explore how companies and their employees have been affected by the emergence of new return-to-office (RTO) policies. We’ll delve into the reasons why remote work is here to stay and describe how technology strengthens the connection between in-office and remote workers.
Table of Contents
- Introduction to remote work trends
- Enhance employer attractiveness through flexible work
- Environmental benefits and work/life balance
- The role of technology in remote workforce solutions
- Case studies: Practical applications of remote workforce solutions
- Conclusion
Introduction to remote work trends
Companies that are requiring employees to return to the office full-time or reducing the number of days they can work remotely have been making the headlines. Prominent organizations including AT&T, Amazon, Southwest Airlines and Dell, along with the federal government, now require employees to be in the office five days a week.
However, the US workforce hasn’t lost its enthusiasm for hybrid and fully remote work. According to the Pew Research Center, almost half of employees who work remotely, at least some of the time, would choose to quit and look for a new job rather than go back to the office full-time.
The Q4 2024 quarterly report from Flex Index, finds that 68% of US companies offer work location flexibility while only 32% require full-time work from the office. While the number of fully remote jobs may be reduced, hybrid working is still going strong. However, hybrid work schedules will become less likely to be based on employee preferences.
The report notes that the use of structured hybrid work, which establishes a set number of hours per week, core hours or certain days that employees must be in the office, is becoming more popular with employers. These employers are seeking a balance between what is good for the company and what best meets the needs of their workforce.
Benefits of remote and hybrid working
For employers:
- An expanded talent pool without geographical limits
- Higher rates of employee retention
- Increased productivity
- Lower operating costs
- Increased employee engagement
For employees:
- Improved work/life balance
- Reduced stress and less burnout
- Flexibility to adjust work hours
- Elimination of commuting time
- Saving money on gas and parking
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Enhance employer attractiveness through flexible work
One of the unexpected downsides for employers who require that workers come back to the office full-time is that it’s often top-performing employees who choose to resign rather than readjust. These outstanding employees are confident they will find new jobs quickly.
As a consequence, RTO mandates have intensified the war for talent. High-caliber candidates prioritize flexibility, autonomy, and hybrid work arrangements. Companies that incorporate these elements into their work culture are better positioned to attract and retain highly qualified employees.
In a real-life example, Entrepreneur magazine reports that after AT&T instituted an RTO policy, Verizon emailed multiple AT&T employees letting them know about open positions at their company that offer remote and hybrid work.
Smaller companies that can’t afford comparable salaries or lavish benefits packages also benefit from the aftereffects of RTO initiatives. Their willingness to offer flexible work options is especially appealing to high performers at companies with more restrictive policies who are ready for a move to another job.
Environmental benefits and work/life balance
Remote work is eco-friendly
Working remotely, at least some of the time, makes sense for work/life balance and preserving the planet. In terms of its positive impact on the environment, remote working results in less commuting time, reduced pollution from cars and public transportation, and energy savings across the board. For example, when companies reduce the amount of office space they occupy, heating and cooling this space requires less energy and reduces a company’s carbon footprint.
People who work at home use less packaging and produce less food waste. Working remotely also eliminates the use of plastic cups, plates, straws, and cutlery. This can have a significant impact because food and food packaging make up a substantial percentage of items discarded in landfills.
Achieving work/life balance
While there’s no one-size-fits-all solution for balancing work and personal life, it’s about feeling equally satisfied with both. One shouldn’t overshadow the other, and employees may find purpose through meaningful work, contributing to their communities, and enjoying activities outside of work.
Remote employees can choose to repurpose commuting time and adjust their work hours to meet personal goals like spending more time with friends and family, exploring new hobbies, exercising and cooking healthy meals. Maintaining a healthy balance also reduces stress by freeing up time to focus on self-care activities and personal development.
The role of technology in remote workforce solutions
Deloitte’s 2025 Global Human Capital Trends report proposes that companies evaluate human outcomes such as how well the technology supports collaboration, boosts employee satisfaction and fosters innovation as part of their measurement of its value. It recommends that in addition to focusing on how much time an employee will save by automating a process, analysis should include what that employee will do with that time. Deloitte suggests that your staff use it to gain new skills and pursue more meaningful work that contributes to the achievement of business goals.
The mobile workforce and document management
Remote and hybrid workers need the right tools to increase the ease of accessing documents, participating in workflows and communicating with their colleagues. These resources range from videoconferencing to electronic whiteboards and online chat. Cloud document management systems (DMSs) also have a significant role to play.
A DMS facilitates the effectiveness of a remote workforce by providing:
- Secure remote access to a centralized repository that ensures information is instantly available to authorized users
- An ability to participate in workflows, and store and retrieve documents
- Easily created web forms that collect data and store it securely
- Collaborative features that allow team members to review documents simultaneously while version control confirms that everyone is working with the most current version
- Seamless integration with other enterprise software and ERP systems to enhance the overall efficiency of your technology ecosystem
- Automated processes for routing and distributing documents across departments and systems within seconds
- Enhanced visibility into workflow processes, enabling managers to monitor operations in real-time and make data-driven decisions
A cloud-based document management system should also provide strong security through user authentication, HTTPS data transfer, 256-bit encryption, multi-level access controls, action tracking, and redundant data storage, offering comprehensive protection against data breaches, malware and other cyberthreats.
Case studies: Practical applications of remote workforce solutions
DocuWare enables Rebel Refrigeration employees to work remotely as efficiently as they do in the office
Rebel Refrigeration, AC & Plumbing installs water heaters and air conditioning systems and provides plumbing services in the greater Las Vegas area. The company responds to over 10,000 service calls a year. Rebel Refrigeration’s contractors used iPads and digital invoicing in some business areas, but certain aspects of their operation relied on using printed invoices. When the Covid lockdown order was issued, the company’s office closed. Employees were working from home, but they couldn't access paper documents that were stored in the office, and invoice processing fell behind. Without digitalization, processes moved at a very slow pace.
With DocuWare’s digital document management, invoice processing workflows are automated, and any authorized employee, whether they’re working remotely or in the office, can pull up a purchase order, an invoice number or a job number and see all related documents. The ease of collaboration between team members is a game changer for the company.
GSC Logistics uses digital storage, automated search and retrieval to make it easier for drivers share documents with the central office
GSC Logistics is the largest trucking company operating at the Port of Oakland. They provide services that include transporting goods from ships to warehouses, moving cargo from one truck to another and distributing it to importers and exporters throughout northern California and its central valley, as well as the ports of Seattle, Tacoma and Portland. The trucking and shipping industry is highly regulated, requiring companies to store and manage a mountain of paperwork. GSC archives driving logs, hours of service, and daily vehicle maintenance records for over 200 owner-operators. The company is also required to store quarterly truck inspections and registration documents, driver's DMV records, license, application, and proof of medical and vehicle insurance.
GSC has very little face time with their owner-operators, so they needed to make submitting documentation from the road as painless as possible. To ensure compliance with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requirements, GSC has to identify which records are on file and which were missing. They also need this information for California Highway Patrol (CHP) audits.
By implementing DocuWare, the company was able to maintain compliance with FMCSA documentation requirements easily and avoid a substantial fine. They also passed the CHP audit, which can shut GSC down until all documentation is in order.
Automation streamlines workflows for remote workers at the Federation of Organizations
The Federation of Organizations, a New York City-based social services agency, uses DocuWare Cloud’s automation features to streamline key tasks. Employees can print electronic documents directly into DocuWare. Then the documents are then sent to a monitored folder that automatically distributes them to the employees responsible for handling the issue. DocuWare enables their staff to accomplish the full scope of their work remotely. Department managers find that workflows run as efficiently as they did when everyone worked in the office.
Conclusion
User-friendly, function-rich and easy to integrate tools designed for mobile workers and devices are a fundamental component of modern document management systems. Remote workers can use technology like the DocuWare Mobile app on any mobile device with an internet connection, allowing them to instantly retrieve information. In addition, the Mobile app alerts employees about new tasks and documents that require their approval, enabling real-time collaboration and ensuring seamless workflow progression.
The agile, digital business thrives by tapping into the benefits of mobile work, and its leaders understand the value of the anytime, anywhere, any-device model of productivity.
