Book: The Future of the Office: Work from Home, Remote Work, and the Hard Choices We All Face | Peter Cappelli

As workers have gotten used to remote work over the past 18 months, a segment of these workers prefers to continue working remotely in a post-pandemic environment. At the least, many workers want flexibility in deciding their work location. However, executing a remote work strategy that captures the benefits of this model while mitigating the risks is challenging and requires thoughtful consideration of multiple factors. Further, these factors have led firms to take various stances on this topic (e.g., Twitter and Facebook saying employees can work remotely permanently, whereas Goldman Sachs wants everyone back in the office. In his new book released on September 21, 2021, Peter Cappelli raises questions for organizations to consider as they decide about remote work. Do we allow some workers to be permanently remote? Do we let others choose when to work from home? Do we get rid of their offices? What else has to change, depending on the approach we choose? Regardless of the decisions made, Cappelli notes that there are “surprising tradeoffs both employers and employees may have to accept to get what they want.” The book provides sound advice to HR leaders and organizations charged with making these decisions.