Full return to the office will fail
This article examines the often unpredictable, gradual acceptance of innovations—spanning from everyday items like the chest of drawers and doorknob to transformative technologies such as electricity and mobile phones—to illustrate how initial resistance ultimately gives way to widespread adoption. Using historical examples like Edward Jenner’s smallpox vaccine and modern shifts in music consumption, the author highlights a recurring pattern: once a superior alternative is experienced, the previous method quickly becomes outdated or even absurd. Applied to today’s workplace, this insight suggests that remote or flexible work models will become the norm, rendering the once-compulsory daily commute anachronistic. The author argues that insisting on a full-scale return to traditional offices will fail, as employees increasingly recognise and prefer the
advantages of remote-capable tasks.
