people have been working in offices for a few decades. Before that they worked in factories, before that they worked at home, either in the field, or in the sho

people have been working in offices for a few decades. Before that they worked in factories, before that they worked at home, either in the field, or in the shop in front of their house (roman times). Whether it's permanent or not depends on how much energy has been expended to switch habits. Once people settle in a new routine, there are some benefits of remote work that are simply irresistible and probably irreversible (such as taking back control of time).