Minnesota has the highest rate of people working remotely in the Midwest, according to the Minneapolis Federal Reserve. More than a third of workers in the state worked at home at least part time in 2023.

But now, five years after the pandemic, the great experiment of remote work is shaking out. More employers are calling workers back to the office. On Monday, tens of thousands of state employees who had been working remotely are required to return to work in person at least 50 percent of the time, complying with a return-to-office order from Gov. Tim Walz.

Some private companies, such as 3M and Medtronic, also are dialing back their work-from-home policies and President Donald Trump has sought to end remote work for federal workers.

MPR News host Angela Davis discusses what we’ve learned about remote work — when it works and when it doesn’t — and what its future might be.

Guests:

• Chris Farrell is a senior economics contributor for MPR News and Marketplace.  
• Colleen Flaherty Manchester is a professor and faculty director of the Center for Human Resources and Labor Studies in the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. She studies flexible work and other benefits and programs offered by employers. 

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Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.