What is in-office remote work?

In-office remote work is when employees commute to the office but still spend their day on video calls, email, and messaging, much like they would at home. Economists Natalia Emanuel and Emma Harrington coined the term in research from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

How common is in-office remote work?

Very common. In a September 2026 survey of 1,835 college-educated workers, 48.8% said they had zero in-person meetings on their most recent day in the office, and more than a third had only virtual meetings, even while sitting in the office.

Why do office days feel like working from home?

Teams are often spread across cities, satellite offices, and remote setups, so meetings default to Zoom. Even one teammate working remotely can push the whole meeting online. More than 70% of surveyed workers had at least one teammate out of the office on their in-person days.

Is going into the office worth it?

It can be, when teammates are actually together. Research cited by the authors shows that people brainstorming face-to-face come up with about 14% more ideas, and in-person work increases the feedback people get on their work by about 20%.

How can I make my office days more productive?

Coordinate with your team on a regular anchor day, meet in a conference room instead of on Zoom when everyone’s in the building, and save brainstorms, feedback sessions, and mentor chats for in-person days. If your office days are mostly solo video calls, raise it with your manager.

In-Office Remote Work: Why Your Office Days Feel Like WFH

Girlboss The Monday Manual in collaboration with Patagonia.

Victoria here, Girlboss’ executive editor. 👋

Raise your hand if you schlep all the way to the office just to spend the whole day on Zoom calls. 🙋‍♀️ If so, you’re far from alone: new research from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that nearly half of in-office workers had zero in-person meetings on their most recent day at the office. Wait, what?!

Today, we’re breaking down the rise of “in-office remote work,” why it’s happening, and how to make your office days feel worth it. Go ahead, forward this to your boss. 👀

Other stuff the Girlboss team is talking about on Slack:

Someone finally said it!!! 🗣️
The founder of Poppi’s next mission is making water less boring.
Patagonia doesn’t do Black Friday deals. It does something better.*

💼 Job of the day: Ever wondered who’s behind those mouthwatering burger ads? At Shake Shack, it could be you. The brand is hiring a Creative Director in NYC ($170.5K–$228.4K) to lead its in-house creative studio and art-direct everything from campaigns to photo shoots. 🍔

So, Are We All Working Remotely... From the Office?

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