The Global Story
The Global Story
Is the working from home era over?
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February 7, 2025
26 minutes
Available for over a year
Many companies are calling staff back to the office for more or all of the working week. When the Covid-19 pandemic upended the usual way of doing business around the world, most firms were forced to change their typical operating practices, allowing employees to work remotely where possible. But what may have looked like a permanent revolution at one stage is becoming a distant memory for some workers.
Host Caitríona Perry talks to the BBC’s employment correspondent Zoe Conway and Stanford University economics professor Nicholas Bloom about whether working remotely for all or part of the week is better for business efficiency, and why some employers are calling time on the practice.
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Producers: Tom Kavanagh, Peter Goffin and Laurie Kalus
Sound engineers: Mike Regaard, Stephen Bailey and Annie Smith
Assistant editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas
Senior news editor: China Collins