Back to Work or Remote Work: Trends and Challenges

Businesses around Asia are pushing workers to return to conventional workplaces and offices. Several workers have indicated a desire to continue working from home or in a hybrid setting. Employers and governments are responding by providing incentives to encourage people to return to work. As workplaces continue to transform, new possibilities and hazards for all stakeholders are emerging. The purpose of this research is to examine the trend experienced in a number of Asian countries related to working mode policies, during which more companies practiced remote work during the pandemic, now that a number of Asian countries have opened access to mobility for their citizens and foreigners, a number of companies have also returned the policy from remote work to back to work. However, this does not imply that all companies are solely implementing back-to-work; there are several companies that are still surviving with the same working model as before the pandemic; thus, the purpose of this article is to highlight the characteristics of companies that implement remote work and back to work.