A pair of recent studies reported here indicates that the pandemic-related remote workforce trend shows signs of reversal.  According to a recent survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor, 72.5% of business establishments reported that their employees teleworked rarely or not at all in 2022.  That number was 60.1% in 2021.  A second survey conducted by economists found that in February 2023, businesses reported that only 27.7% of total employee days worked were from home, verses 60% during peak pandemic periods in 2020.  Both of these surveys reflect that work from home is giving way to hybrid work, and for some, a full-time return to the work site.

Although the overall trend indicates a return to on-site work, certain industries appear to embrace remote work more than others.  Thirty-three percent of businesses surveyed in the information sector (which includes tech and media firms), and about half of businesses surveyed in the professional and business sector (which includes law and accounting firms), reported that their employees worked full-time from the office in 2022.  A recent surge in leisure, hospitality and retail jobs, which are more suited to in-person work, has made an outsized contribution to rising numbers of on-site employees.

Some employers believe that employees are more productive when working on site, and that it’s easier to train, mentor and build collaborative working relationships in person.  Still, remote work is far from over. The percentage of employees across all industries working on a fully remote basis actually rose from 10.3% in 2021 to 11.1% in 2022, and 13% of current job postings are for remote positions.  For employers and employees who long for a return to in-person work, however, the trend appears to be in their favor.

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Photo of Kate Gold Kate Gold

Kate Gold is a partner in the Labor & Employment Law Department in the Los Angeles office.

Kate has over 25 years of experience representing clients in the entertainment, financial services, private equity, healthcare and other industries, across all areas of employment law.

Kate Gold is a partner in the Labor & Employment Law Department in the Los Angeles office.

Kate has over 25 years of experience representing clients in the entertainment, financial services, private equity, healthcare and other industries, across all areas of employment law. She is regarded as a strategic and skilled litigator, and has represented employers in class and collective actions as well as in high-profile discrimination, retaliation, harassment, non-compete and wage/hour matters. Kate also represents clients in disputes involving misappropriation of intellectual property and trade secrets, interference with contract and unfair competition.

Clients entrust Kate with their most sensitive workplace investigations, which often result in confidential non-public resolutions.  Employers also routinely seek her advice and counsel on restrictive covenants, employee classification, and employment-related diligence in the context of purchase and sale of businesses. Additionally, she negotiates and drafts executive employment and separation agreements and conducts training on sexual harassment prevention and respect in the workplace.

Kate has been recognized as a leading lawyer by widely respected publications, including The Los Angeles Daily JournalThe Los Angeles Business Journal and Chambers USA.  Clients report that “she is incredibly smart, always up-to-date on the latest developments, responsive and a creative problem solver” and that “she is brilliant, practical, calm and exceptional in terms of work quality and client service.”

Kate is on the Board of the Constitutional Rights Foundation and mentors junior lawyers through Proskauer’s Womens’ Sponsorship Program.  She received her B.A. and J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.