I think remote work is good for many companies. In my opinion, people work better at home. You're right. It saves a lot of travel time. The reason is workers can start earlier and feel less tired. For example, a friend of mine finishes work before dinner.

I'd say remote work has generally increased productivity. It seems to me that the main reason is fewer interruptions. I completely agree with those who say it improves work-life balance. I'd go along with the idea that commuting is a huge waste of time. I tend to think the data supports this, though the effect varies by industry. For instance, creative roles may benefit more than jobs requiring close teamwork. What's more, some employees feel isolated, which could offset the benefits.

From a strategic standpoint, companies should not assume remote work is uniformly beneficial. My own view is that productivity gains are real but unevenly distributed. While it's true that many employees report higher focus, I would argue that collaborative innovation has suffered. The crux of the issue is that we are measuring output, not long-term value creation. The evidence would seem to suggest that routine tasks thrive remotely, whereas complex problem-solving depends on informal interaction. One could plausibly argue that hybrid models offer the best of both, but they require deliberate management. What this overlooks is the individual variation — some people simply flourish in an office environment. I'm inclined to think a flexible policy is the wisest course.