In 2020, millions of office workers around the world were sent home as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Governments in many countries, including the US, put strict lockdowns in place that required employees who could do their jobs remotely to work from home.
Many workers were only too thrilled to say goodbye to their morning commutes. Some even argued that they became more productive after they swapped rush hour traffic for Zoom meetings in their pajamas.
While a lot of workers remained in fully remote jobs after the worst of the pandemic passed, others weren’t as lucky. Once the world returned to normal, many employees found they were expected back at the office.
This trend has gotten stronger in 2026. Microsoft recently announced that workers will need to come into the office 3 days a week, and Paramount Skydance also said employees will have to work on-site if they live within 50 miles of an office.
However, even though the pandemic’s work-from-home mandates are a thing of the past, things are still far from normal in 2026, and there are other factors pushing people toward remote work.
The Iran war has caused gas prices to skyrocket. According to the AAA, the national average gas price is now $3.98 a gallon. 6 USA Today reported prices as high as almost $9 a gallon in California.
Many countries are now experiencing shortages of gasoline, with fears that the war could trigger a global economic catastrophe. Rumors are circulating that we may soon see “energy lockdowns.” People are claiming that global oil shortages caused by the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz will make it financially impossible for many people to go to work.

