"The DNA of work has changed"

But a plurality of employees recently surveyed are effectively saying that if they want a change of scenery, they’ll pick up their laptops and amble from the living room to the den. Forty percent of Americans prefer to work from home full-time, compared with 35% who seek a home-office hybrid and 25% who want to go back to the office full-time, according to a Harris Poll survey of 2,063 adults conducted May 14-16. The results were provided exclusively to USA TODAY. Workers cite a variety of concerns about going back to the office, including losing the flexibility they’ve enjoyed while teleworking, getting back to their pre-COVID routines, health worries and having to make small talk again with coworkers. The employees’ wishes appear at odds with those of most U.S. businesses that want their workers back in the office at least some of the time after the health crisis fades.