Look, the Wall Street argument is interesting but it's not the whole story. JPMorgan brought people back because they want control and culture, not because the data says it's more productive. In fact, a two-year Stanford study of 16,000 workers found remote workers were 13% more productive, took fewer sick days, and were less likely to quit. That's not just individual tasks—that's real, measurable output.
And honestly, that "learning by osmosis" thing? It's a nice idea, but it's not how most people actually learn. Junior employees learn from structured mentorship and clear documentation, not from overhearing someone on the phone. Companies like GitLab have shown you can build incredible onboarding and collaboration remotely. It just takes intentionality instead of hoping magic happens by the coffee machine.
The companies calling people back are the ones who never properly invested in remote infrastructure. That's not a failure of remote work—it's a failure of implementation.
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