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<h2 class=”tw:mt-0 tw:mb-1 tw:text-2xl tw:font-heading”>Key Takeaways</h2>
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<li>Remote work is expected to surge again in the next decade as boomer and Gen X executives retire and are replaced by millennial and Gen Z leaders who favor flexibility.</li>
<li>A National Bureau of Economic Research study of 8,000 U.S. workers showed employees at younger firms founded after 2015 work from home almost twice as often as those at companies founded before 1990.</li> 
<li>The research implies that workers who want lasting remote options should target younger firms and leaders.</li>
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<p><a href=”https://www.entrepreneur.com/leadership/the-importance-of-building-trust-when-working-remotely-or/464271″>Working from home</a> is likely to stage a major comeback over the next decade as younger leaders replace older bosses, driven by different attitudes towards <a href=”https://www.entrepreneur.com/growing-a-business/how-remote-teams-and-ai-can-help-your-company-scale-smarter/496536″>flexibility</a> and <a href=”https://www.entrepreneur.com/business-news/people-are-over-the-9-5-and-embracing-this-buzzy-workplace-trend-instead”>work</a>. </p>
<p>A <a href=”https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w34795/w34795.pdf”>new analysis</a> from the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) tracked monthly surveys of about 8,000 U.S. workers ages 20 to 64 throughout 2025 to understand where and how people work. The study found two strong patterns: working from home is significantly more common at younger firms and at companies led by younger CEOs.</p>
<p>Employees at companies founded after 2015 work from home nearly twice as often as those at firms started before 1990, underscoring how organizational age and culture shape flexibility, per the study. When the CEO is under 30, for instance, the average work-from-home rate reaches around 1.4 days per week, compared with 1.1 days when the CEO is 60 or older. </p>
<p>The researchers argue that as older executives retire and older firms shrink or fold, more of the labor force will naturally migrate into <a href=”https://www.entrepreneur.com/leadership/return-to-office-push-meets-employee-pushback-whats/488619″>remote‑friendly organizations</a>.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-generational-divide-in-leadership”>Generational divide in leadership</h2>
<p>Today’s in-office push is largely led by baby boomers (born <a href=”https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/baby_boomer.asp”>between</a> 1946 and 1964) and older Gen X executives (born <a href=”https://www.britannica.com/topic/Generation-X”>between</a> 1965 and 1980) who built their careers in an era when visibility at a desk signaled commitment and performance. By contrast, many millennials (born <a href=”https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2019/01/17/where-millennials-end-and-generation-z-begins/”>between</a> 1981 and 1996) and Gen Z leaders (born <a href=”https://www.investopedia.com/generation-z-gen-z-definition-5218554″>between</a> 1997 and 2012) came of age professionally <a href=”https://www.entrepreneur.com/business-news/the-scientific-reason-people-wont-stop-waving-on-zoom/464526″>during or after the pandemic</a> and see rigid office routines as outdated rather than aspirational, per the study. </p>
<p>According to the NBER, younger CEOs are more likely to measure contribution by delivery and results, not hours in a cubicle, and they are more comfortable <a href=”https://www.entrepreneur.com/growing-a-business/how-businesses-can-thrive-without-a-physical-office-in/475429″>managing distributed teams</a>. NBER research suggests that generational turnover at the top is not just a demographic shift but a structural one that favors hybrid and remote models. Once these younger leaders control more board seats and C‑suites, they will ease the political resistance to working from home inside organizations.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-what-this-means-for-workers”>What this means for workers</h2>
<p>For workers who want to protect or regain remote options, the research offers a clear tactical takeaway: target younger firms and CEOs. Startups less than a decade old and companies run by younger CEOs are statistically more likely to support hybrid or fully remote roles, according to NBER.</p>
<p>If more companies adopt remote work policies, work-life balance could improve among employees, research shows. The <a href=”https://www.coworkingcafe.com/blog/remote-work-well-being-survey-2026/”>2026 Remote Work Well-Being Survey</a> from Coworking Cafe, released earlier this month, indicated strong majorities of remote workers (69%) say their work-life balance has improved because of a remote setup. </p>
<p>Even as giants like <a href=”https://www.entrepreneur.com/business-news/amazon-ceo-mandates-employees-return-to-office-5-days-a-week/479935″>Amazon</a> and <a href=”https://www.entrepreneur.com/business-news/jpmorgan-to-implement-a-five-day-return-to-office-mandate/485281″>JPMorgan</a> double down on <a href=”https://www.entrepreneur.com/business-news/corporate-amazon-employees-fuming-online-over-rto-mandate/480432″>five‑day office mandates</a>, the structural trend points the other way. Over time, the nature of work may actually depend on the birth year of the person in the corner office. </p>
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