According to L.A. Business Leaders, Hybrid work is here to stay.

Many companies have shifted to remote- or hybrid-work models in the last two years. This has been a common trend throughout Los Angeles and the rest of the globe. Employers are now reviewing what work is required to move forward, with COVID-19 cases decreasing and less stringent mandates. This could significantly impact L.A.’s tech- and business community.

On Wednesday, local business leaders and stakeholders gathered in Downtown L.A. to discuss these topics at “The Future of Work”: People, Places and Spaces, a symposium hosted jointly by the Pasadena-based non-profit Alliance for SoCal Innovation (DCBID) and the Downtown Center Business Improvement District.

Slack’s senior vice president Brian Elliott, SoCal Edison’s senior vice president Natalie Schilling and Jessica Ku Kim, vice presidents of L.A. Economic Development Corporation, L.A. Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC), Arup associate principal Katherine Perez, Geolab CEO Kian Gor, are some of the panelists.

SoCal Edison senior vice president Natalie Schilling shares her thoughts on the hybrid-work model.

Elliott began the discussion by pointing out that even Slack, whose online workplace communication software was pervasive during pandemics, found the first shift to remote work shocked its system.

He said that less than 3% of the workforce was remote before the pandemic. “Most people assume we are a technology company so we did [remote work] all along.” Elliott pointed out that Slack’s new remote work model made it easier to recruit and hire talent from around the globe.

Gohar added his voice by saying that the pandemic had made it necessary to reevaluate our assumptions about how and what we live, work, socialize and learn.

“Future of Work” event speakers and attendees pose for a photo.

Although lockdowns helped society recognize the importance of essential workers in sectors like food and healthcare, which many workers could not do at home, it was possible to gain benefits from doing many jobs remotely. By eliminating commutes, workers could save time and money. Carbon emissions also dropped. Parents with caregiving responsibilities had more flexibility and work-life balance than before the pandemic

However, office occupancy rates are slowly rising, and there is a divide between those who are more content with the new normal and those who prefer to return to pre-pandemic times.

Perez stated that she sees a division at her engineering and design firm between executives (many of whom have families and want to work from home) and junior staff who need the support and collaboration of working in an office.

On the flip side, Schilling said employers might risk losing out on talent if they don’t provide work-from-home options–particularly younger employees fresh out of college and low on savings, who may balk at paying today’s sky-high gas prices to commute.

Schilling stated that “SoCal Edison’s greatest concern is connectedness, productivity, and getting people to want stay with us,”

Although the discussion about “the future work” is still open to debate, many panelists agreed with Kim’s observation that “one size does NOT fit all” and the sentiment that while one company may be successful in a post-pandemic environment,,, it may not work for another.