Remote Work vs. In-Person vs. Hybrid: Looking at the Data

5 years on from the pandemic, and yes, this is still a hot topic for organizations, small and large. Since the days of the pandemic that required adaptability and tough decisions, companies around North America have been grappling with how – and more specifically, where their people should be working from. While many relied on remote work to get them through those times, some organizations have ordered everyone back to the office. Meanwhile, others have embraced remote work or have implemented some kind of hybrid agreement.

Remote work versus in-person has been the question of the decade for many white-collar industries. In this article, we compare working from home with in-person work, looking at where people are actually working, what they want, and what the numbers say.

Remote Work

The push behind remote work has been fueled by employers and their people who see the benefits of improved work-life balance. With people working from home, the commute is erased, allowing for extra time at home. Naturally, people get a little extra time with their kids, pets, or family members who are at home with them. With access to a more flexible schedule, people are also able to prioritize meal preparation, exercise, and other healthy habits while working during their most productive times.

There are arguments to be made about the productivity levels of remote workers. Stats Can reported that more than half of remote workers believed they were at least as productive as they were in the office during the pandemic. Those in favour of remote work believe that productivity is higher at home without interruptions and in a more comfortable environment. Plus, a greater work-life balance has the potential to boost morale and help people avoid burnout.

For employers of all sizes, there are also some real cost savings presented when a workforce no longer requires it’s large, pricey downtown office. Not to mention the money saved on providing in-office benefits like lunches, snacks, and drinks. A 2024 study of 257 business leaders reported roughly half of Canadian companies have been able to decrease office-related expenditures and 75% have been able to reduce their office footprint.

The Downsides

One downside of remote work is social isolation. Not only are people isolated from their colleagues, which presents different mental health risks, but they’re also physically separated from the office. That means it could be tough to collaborate and even communicate.

There is also an argument to be made about the blurred lines of work and home. If people don’t manage that balance well, they may end up overworking or not working at all. Without clear boundaries, some people may work well into the evening when they should be with their families. But perhaps the opposite is more worrisome for employers – the potential for slacking off. There are plenty of distractions at home, and some people may struggle without the structure of an office.

In-Person Work

The traditional way of working is in the office. With a few exceptions, the majority of office workers have been working in a physical company office for generations. Backers of in-person work believe in the power of human connection to impact communication, collaboration, productivity, and results.

In-person workers have the ability to build stronger relationships in the office than they would over the phone or video chat. Not only is there more face-to-face communication, but there’s also more communication in general, whether it’s short desk drop-ins or lunchroom talk. This results in a greater feeling of teamwork, collaboration and camaraderie.

The physical office, which is designed for work, provides productivity benefits too. With a clear separation between work and home, the office is a space that has been structured for focused work. Proper equipment and tech, ergonomic furniture, and separate rooms for meetings are all part of that structure.

The Downsides

One the primary downsides of only in-person work is the stress and burnout employees are exposed to. The commute is a big part of that, which could add an hour or even more to someone’s day. Combining a long commute with long days at the office away from home means less time with family and less time for healthy habits like exercise, household chores, and proper nourishment.

There’s also the commotion of an office that could make work more difficult. The office could provide even more distractions than home with colleagues dropping by, background conversations, and other noise.

Finally, there’s the question of job satisfaction. With more employees preferring the option to work from home, being forced to commute to the office today could lower morale and job satisfaction, even prompting people to look for work elsewhere. More on that below…

Hybrid Work

What’s known as a ‘hybrid work’ setup is relatively new, coming about during the pandemic and post-pandemic era, which involves a mixture of both remote and in-person work. Recognizing the benefits of both remote and in-person work, hybrid work is somewhat of a compromise for employers and employees alike. Many employers will have an agreement with their people that requires them to be in the office a certain number of days per week, while allowing them to work from home or elsewhere during the remaining time. It’s a win-win. And organizations across a number of industries are onboard, with 68% of medium enterprises offering some kind of hybrid or remote work option.

The flexibility of hybrid is hard not to like. In a survey of 1,000 Canadians completed by the International Workplace Group, 79% of people said their overall well-being improved significantly and 77% said their stress levels were reduced. The reason for these sparkling numbers lays in the flexibility provided by hybrid work. Hybrid employees have more time to prioritize exercise, healthy eating habits, and quality sleep.

Hybrid work is a no-brainer for employers as well, as long as the work being done is compatible with a work-from-home setup. Due to the lower stress levels and improved mental health of hybrid works due to the increased flexibility, there are real productivity gains to be had. McKinsey, Gallup, Harvard Business Review among many others have done research on the productivity of hybrid work, with most reporting in a 10-20% productivity boost. The hybrid work option also makes for a great recruiting and talent attraction tool, given so many Canadians would prefer some kind of hybrid arrangement.

 

Who’s Working Where?

In a global study done by Stanford’s Institute for Economic Policy Research, it was found that Canadians average more remote workdays than anywhere else in the world. The study survey 16,000 people from 40 countries who had graduated from college or university. Canadians worked an average of 1.9 days a week from home.

Canadian financial institutions, tech companies, and professional services are some of the largest industries for remote and hybrid work. But smaller Canadian businesses are bullish on remote and hybrid work too, with 68% of small-to-medium-sized enterprises offering some hybrid or remote work option. Those work-from-home and hybrid opportunities are concentrated naturally in larger cities like Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. These work setups are also more prevalent among higher-educated and higher-paid professionals, with women slightly more likely to work from home than men. At the end of the day, hybrid work has prevailed as the most common work dynamic in the country.

What the People Want

Generally speaking, Canadians are open to hybrid and remote work, with the majority actually favouring the option to do so.

In a 2024 study done by the Public Service Alliance of Canada, 81% of Canadians said hybrid or remote work was good for them, while 66% said it was better for their productivity.

In a separate Pollara study regarding the return to office post-pandemic, 74% of current remote-only or hybrid workers said they’d be unhappy if the employer instituted a full-time return to office mandate. The same study reported that only 24% would be fine with such a mandate, while 42% said they’d quit.

In a more recent Angus Reid Institute study from July 2025, 59% of Canadians would prefer to work either fully remote (29%) or hybrid (30%). Furthermore, 76% of Canadians who have previous remote work experience would prefer to work from home going forwards.

 

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