Why hybrid work is ‘here to stay’ as even Zoom calls workers into office

Zoom, the face of remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic, is the latest high-profile U.S. company to order its employees to partly work from the office.

Pizza Fridays. Lego rooms. 3D printers. Free meals.

Companies are going all out to make in-office work an attractive option for employees who have gotten used to working from the comfort of their homes over the past three years.

Zoom, the face of remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic, is the latest high-profile U.S. company to order its employees to partly work from the office after similar policies introduced by Amazon and Disney this year.

In Canada, too, a growing number of companies are calling workers on-site, with several big banks mandating two to three office days per week.

But some workers are pushing back against being told to return to the office, and it’s not business as usual for many who do.

Companies are “really pushing the dial” by creating a “party-like environment,” said Silvia Gonzalez-Zamora, a partner in KPMG’s people and change practice.

“There’s rooms for relaxing, there’s rooms for creativity,” she told Global News in an interview.

“So really, I think it depends a lot on how much the organization is willing to go out to bring the employees that they need according to their skill set.”