The COVID-19 pandemic has inarguably been one of the most disruptive workforce events of the century. The disruption began when organizations were forced to deal with a remote workforce, finding it was not only possible—it could be productive.

The past eighteen months have significantly shifted organizations' attitudes about remote work, but not so much as to fully embrace such a model moving forward. Yes, there are organizations who are, and plan to continue, operating in a "fully remote" mode. But a more likely model is a hybrid one; a model in which some employees work both from home, others from the office, and still others in some combination of the two.

Debates rage about who should decide where employees work on any given day, as well as how many days they should be in the office, but in general the notion of a fully hybrid workforce has been accepted across those industries that can support it.

More than half (55 percent) of 1,200 workers surveyed between Nov. 24 and Dec. 5 said they prefer working remotely three days a week. Meanwhile, 68 percent of 133 U.S. executives said workers should be in the office at least three days a week, citing concerns that company culture will not survive a purely remote work model.

I personally watch these discussions with detached interest because, well, I was never in the office and trust me, I'm not going to be. I94 to Seattle is a really, really long drive.

To be honest, the implementation details of a hybrid work model aren't as important as the result: there will be employees working from home and from the office every day of the week. Hybrid work is the new default.

This seemingly simple statement has a profound impact on the future of access strategies.