Five years on since remote work was widely adopted — is working from home working?

It has been five years since remote work was widely adopted in response to the pandemic. Has it become the new normal, or will employers increasingly push for a return to the office, following trends in the United States?

Most employees have enjoyed working remotely for the past five years and don’t want to give it up. The National Remote Working Survey, conducted in 2023, found that 44% stated that they would change jobs if their employer didn’t facilitate remote or hybrid working preferences, even if it meant a cut in their pay.

The world of work was thrown into disarray in 2020. The rapid spread of covid-19 across the world convinced the Irish government of the need to impose a lockdown, and all but frontline workers were ordered to start working from home.

We assumed back then that it was a temporary measure. However, according to the Hays Ireland Salary and Recruiting Trends Guide 2025, only 44% of us have returned to full-time work in the office. The rest of us work remotely (15%) or on a hybrid basis (41%).