Remote work in 2026: how companies are shaping the future of work

The debate about remote and hybrid work has moved beyond the question of whether it works. Most businesses now accept that flexible work is possible. The real questions today are about balance, culture, growth and talent markets: how much flexibility can companies offer, how they manage hybrid collaboration, and which approach best supports organisational goals in a tighter economic climate.

Many employers are already rewriting their strategies. Some are doubling down on remote work as a core part of their culture. Others are tightening attendance expectations, driven by fears about team cohesion or career progression. What's striking is the divergence — companies are experimenting in real time rather than settling on one universal model.

Remote-first champions

Some businesses haven't just stuck with remote work, they are leaning into it strategically.

A good example is Life360, the location app company whose CEO, Lauren Antonoff, publicly committed to a remote-first culture. She made clear that remote isn't just allowed — it's part of how they think about collaboration. Rather than forcing daily Zoom calls or forcing people into offices, Life360 has reallocated what would have been office space budgets into company-wide meet-ups where teams can connect face-to-face. As Antonoff put it:

“The secret of making remote work isn't better online meetings, it's more in-person meetings”

designed around purpose, not proximity.

Other remote-first firms, especially in tech and services, still operate with no formal office footprint or require it only for optional meet-ups. These companies argue that removing geographic barriers expands their talent pool and improves retention. Employers like Deel, Inc. — a global HR and payroll platform built to support remote hiring — are structured around distributed teams across borders, and they use that operating model as a strategic advantage rather than an exception.

For remote-first companies, the future is less about where people sit and more about how work gets done. Internal advocates argue that location-agnostic hiring helps them access specialist skills without expanding real estate costs, and keeps flexibility at the centre of the employee value proposition.

Hybrid by design, not default

For many large employers, hybrid work has settled into something more structured. The nuance now is in the models companies choose.

A consensus is emerging that hybrid is less about simply offering remote days and more about purposeful office time. This means teams coordinate to solve specific problems together, not just "be present."

At companies where hybrid is the default, employees often spend two to three days a week in the office, with the remaining time remote. These policies reinforce collaboration while still allowing flexibility. Research suggests this kind of split — roughly two remote days per week — can balance creative collaboration with individual focus and even help improve career progression and retention.

Some organisations take a role-based hybrid approach, meaning expectations vary by function: sales or client-facing teams may be in more often, while specialist or individual contributor roles may lean remote. Others use team-level flexibility, where groups coordinate days together rather than adhering to a company-wide calendar.

Companies pushing for office presence

Meanwhile, other major players have moved in the opposite direction, reshaping hybrid into something closer to office-centric.

Electronic Arts recently announced a three-day office minimum for most roles to improve decision-making and team connection. Rather than leaving attendance open, the company is phasing out remote hiring for all but the most critical roles.

And Starbucks, under new leadership, has raised its in-office requirement for corporate employees to four days a week and is requiring certain managers to relocate closer to regional hubs. CEO Brian Niccol framed this move as critical to reviving performance and accelerating collaboration, saying that

“we do our best work when we're together”

A similar shift is happening at legacy brands such as Harley-Davidson, where new leadership is reversing a long-standing remote policy by mandating multi-day office attendance for corporate teams.

These office-first trends are often driven by beliefs about culture strength and informal learning: executives who see spontaneous interactions as essential for innovation ironically argue that remote tools like video calls don't replicate "hallway moments" well enough.

What leaders are saying

The language executives use today is revealing. Rather than talking about remote work as a perk, discussions are increasingly about organisational outcomes:

“The future of work isn't remote vs office, it's effective vs ineffective,”

says thought leader Jared Kleinert, emphasising accountability and communication quality regardless of location.

Companies like Atlassian have pointed to flexibility as a reason employees stay and perform well, highlighting that autonomy fosters ownership and satisfaction.

In contrast, leaders pushing office returns argue that proximity accelerates mentorship, problem-solving and alignment, qualities they believe are harder to sustain when teams are rarely together.

Beyond the office building

Some organisations are blending these philosophies into new practices rather than choosing one side. For example, hybrid workplaces are increasingly using collaboration hubs, project-centric meet-ups, and periodic in-person retreats rather than fixed schedules. These models attempt to strike a middle ground: remote work fosters focus and flexibility, while in-person time is invested where it adds the most value.

Additionally, as digital tools evolve, asynchronous communication, shared documentation systems and more intentional meeting design are becoming standard. This helps reduce "meeting overload" and ensures that when teams do collaborate live — whether in person or on platforms like Teams or Zoom — the time is productive.

So what's next?

The future of work in 2026 isn't one model, but a spectrum of approaches shaped by company strategy, industry demands and talent markets:

Remote-first organisations are likely to grow in sectors where specialised digital work dominates.

Structured hybrid models will become the baseline for most large employers.

Office-centric policies will persist in companies that prioritise physical collaboration and mentorship.

What is clear is that flexibility remains a key expectation in talent markets. As competition for skilled workers increases, companies that balance flexibility with intentional connection — and treat tools like Zoom and Teams as enablers rather than placeholders — are better positioned to attract and retain the people they need.