More than six years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, over one in five U.S. workers who have the option to work remotely are doing so either full time or at least one day per week. The way work is organized—whether on-site, remote, or a mix of both—often reflects the culture of the employer. This culture includes how decisions are made, how employees are managed, and how communication flows within the organization. In early 2020, the research and development departments of four global companies were all engaged in similar technical and scientific work. They had access to the same digital tools for communication, but when the pandemic forced most employees to work from home in March 2020, each company responded differently. Over the next three years, as the pandemic continued in waves, the companies varied in how long it took them to establish stable work arrangements and how well employees accepted these changes. A study by researchers at Stanford University, published in 2026, showed that the average percentage of paid full days worked from home rose from 7% before the pandemic to more than 60% shortly after it began. By around 2022, this number had dropped to roughly 30%. However, the four companies studied showed different patterns. For most scientists and technicians, fully remote work was temporary, lasting weeks or months. It took the companies between 3 to 15 months to settle on new work arrangements, often with several changes to workplace policies along the way. By early 2023, middle managers and workers at two of the four companies had largely accepted their work-from-home policies. At one of the other two, employees generally agreed, while at the fourth, workers rejected the policies and sought workarounds. Two of the companies had strict procedures and clear rules about when employees could work remotely. A research director from one of these more hierarchical companies described the pandemic as “just another risk” to be managed with existing protocols. These companies stabilized their work arrangements quickly, with employees understanding and following the rules. The other two companies focused more on teamwork and collaboration, encouraging employee input in decision-making. One of these companies held workshops on remote work that involved employees at all levels, ensuring everyone understood the reasoning behind the policies. While hierarchical cultures allowed for quicker decision-making, they sometimes faced challenges with employee dissatisfaction and resistance to policies that felt imposed. Collaborative cultures, on the other hand, took longer to settle on policies but generally saw less pushback from employees. The study suggests that organizational culture plays a key role in how employers respond to crises. Because building a more flexible and adaptable culture takes time, the researchers recommend that employers start developing such cultures well in advance of future disruptions.