During the pandemic hiring boom, we saw nearly all legal jobs go remote. Now many employers have been calling workers back to the office, which is not going so well. See this recent NYT article on companies having to hire return-to-office consultants.

What I’m seeing now:

1. The most typical work schedule is flexible hybrid. Employers ask workers to come to the office anywhere from 2-3 times a week to 2-3 times a month, and are generally are not checking work badges for compliance (though some are).
2. A small number of companies have gone fully remote. See here for the list of 100 fully remote employers. Some companies have shed buildings/headquarters, so they seem committed.
3. A small number of companies have required employees to come 100% back in-office. Usually this directive comes from the top, e.g., C3Ai.
4. What will companies do in the future? The jury is still out. Employees had significantly more leverage during the pandemic boom to dictate their hours in-office versus remote. However, the pendulum is swinging the other direction now. In fact, some hiring managers have said the #1 question not to ask during initial interviews is whether you can work from home (“an immediate red flag”).
5. How to ask about work-from-home/remote policy. Ask only after you have established rapport/fit and after you researched the official policy (use Google/Glassdoor and ask friends who work there to get the gist). Then inquire generally about all benefits (e.g., “I’m very interested in your company! It would be super helpful if HR can send me the benefits summary.”) See here for sample language that you can refine for yourself. You can negotiate when you have offer in hand.