From a glance at 2024's top business headlines, you'd think all companies were pushing return-to-office (RTO) policies, embracing AI and banishing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes. But let's remember that headlines don't always reflect reality.
Start with RTO mandates. The media loves a scary back-to-office headline. From the point of view of clicks, a strict five-day-a-week policy is gold. Even better? If that policy applies to tech dweebs. Full points if it's a company that once promised to work remotely forever, like X when it was still Twitter. These headlines gain attention because they play to some readers' anxieties—and others' schadenfreude. But the reality is that most firms do hybrid work.
Even Elon Musk had to back off his declarations of full RTO at X; shortly after his initial demands, he conceded there'd be exceptions. He also shuttered some of the company's offices, meaning that all staff in those locations had to go fully remote.
I expect this duality to ramp up in 2025, with more companies announcing returns to the office even as most quietly shrink office space and retain hybrid arrangements. The bottom line: Badge-in data in the US has been close to flat for the past two years. Among workers whose jobs can be done remotely, hybrid arrangements remain the most common.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Billionaire wealth grew 3x faster in '24
Billionaire wealth across the globe surged by $2 trillion in 2024 to $15 trillion at a rate three times faster than the previous year, a study showed on Monday.
Govt selects 24 companies for ₹3,516-crore white goods PLI
38 companies applied in third round; 18 new firms have been provisionally selected
Hindenburg denies SEC investigation
U.S.-based short-seller Hindenburg Research has said that it is not under investigation by the market regulator US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as it rubbished alleged links of its founder to a hedge fund for preparing reports targeting companies.
Founders Step Back From PharmEasy, Eye Consumer Space
Siddharth Shah, the last of the co-founders, will continue to be the MD and CEO of the company
First Israeli hostages released under Gaza cease-fire
The first three Israeli hostages were released Sunday under a cease-fire deal in the Gaza Strip, beginning a drawn-out process that halted more than a year of war and will see 33 captives freed over the next six weeks in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
LTIMindtree's global markets head quits
TIMindtree Ltd's president of global markets, Sudhir Chaturvedi, has quit the company, leaving chief operating officer Nachiket Deshpande as the frontrunner to succeed current chief executive Debashis Chatterjee, whose term ends later this year.
Why everyone is trying out stick-it-on patches
From acne to chronic pain relief, the market for transdermal patches is growing. Mint explores the science, and reasons for this growing interest
Fresh US sanctions may hit GRMs of Indian oil refiners
Gross refining margins of Indian oil refiners are likely to shrink going ahead post fresh sanctions on two Russian oil producers and nearly 200 crude-carrying vessels, according to sector experts.
India's credit guarantee scheme for startups holds high potential
It provides much needed collateral-free loans at a time when risk capital has been slowing down
Can the Budget Tackle Tax Appeal Delays and Ease Taxpayer Burden?
Government must address the growing backlog of tax appeals and impact of prolonged litigation on taxpayers
