Return to Work Guide

Welcome to the Return to Work Guide by Wrike

When the first case of COVID-19 was reported in the US on January 21, 2020, no one could have foreseen how deeply it would reshape work. 

The pandemic accelerated a shift toward remote and flexible work that has continued well into the mid-2020s. 

While the emergency phase has passed, hybrid and remote arrangements are now a stable part of the work landscape: As of late 2025, U.S. remote-capable jobs are mainly hybrid, at 52%, with 26% exclusively remote and just 21% onsite. 

Those figures mark a significant departure from pre-pandemic norms and underscore the growth of flexible work structures that companies can no longer ignore.

Organizations are still experimenting with the right balance, but flexibility has become a defining employee expectation. Gallup indicates that around 6 in 10 workers with remote-capable jobs prefer a hybrid arrangement, while about one-third want fully remote work. 

Moreover, research shows that many employees may reconsider their job if flexibility is removed — with nearly half of US workers saying they would think about leaving their employer if remote or hybrid options were eliminated.

This shows that what we call “working from home” (WFH) is deeply linked to retention, recruitment, and productivity.

Even as some leaders refine return-to-office expectations, most recognise that a strict office-only approach could hamper their ability to attract and retain talent. Hybrid and remote arrangements now form a central part of workforce strategy rather than a temporary workaround.

The implications are clear: A return to work — whatever shape it takes — must be thoughtful and intentional. 

That means designing work systems that support collaboration across locations and schedules, equitably include remote contributors, and provide the tools and norms that enable teams to thrive no matter where they are.

At Wrike, we’ve supported teams navigating these shifts long before most organizations had formal hybrid policies.

Our own teams span multiple countries and working patterns, and we regularly work across offices and time zones to deliver results.

Similarly, millions of people around the world use Wrike’s platform to coordinate work, maintain visibility on priorities, and stay aligned regardless of location. We’ve seen firsthand how the right tools and approaches make flexible work successful — and how backtracking on flexibility can disrupt momentum and morale.

That’s exactly why we created this return to work guide, a resource for understanding how work is evolving and how organizations can lead that evolution with confidence. 

In this guide, we bring together the most relevant research, best practices, and practical steps to help you support a diverse range of work modes — from fully remote to hybrid to office-based teams.

Whether your organization is formalising a hybrid model, expanding remote work, or still refining how the office fits into your long-term strategy, this guide will help you navigate the realities of work in 2026 and beyond.

Ready to get started? Jump in and explore each section to understand how the world of work has changed — and how you can support your teams through it.