Companies That Allow Remote Work Grow 1.7X Faster, New Data Shows

Small firms are much more likely to allow remote work arrangements, the report also finds, and the gap is only set to grow. Author Jessica Stillman gets into the causes with Work Forward CEO Brian Elliott.

Even if your employees stick around after you demand they return to the office full time, they’re unlikely to be happy about it. The higher growth at more flexible firms is “at least in part due to higher engagement: mandates drive it down, resulting in ‘quiet quitting,’” Elliott explains.

“If you treat adults like children and force them to march into offices five days a week, they’ll punch the clock.”

And the gap between how smaller and larger firms are handling remote work is only set to widen, Elliott believes.

Among big companies, “the vibe is definitely in favor of “get tough” these days. Changing management practices at scale is harder than issuing attendance policies,” he observes. “Meanwhile, smaller firms are getting better at flexible work practices and capturing the talent exodus and growing faster.”