by Josy Amann, Ars X Machina

In 2005, while companies were building open-office layouts and vying for talent with foosball tables and in-office baristas, Media Matters Worldwide (now Ars X Machina) decided to go remote. The math was simple: why spend on real estate what could be spent on people?

Today, as corporations and the government push return-to-office mandates, a familiar debate has returned to the national stage: What is the purpose of work, and where—and how—should it happen?

The new reality of work

After the global pandemic redefined what was possible, many employees discovered a truth that can’t be undone: Life is richer when work flexes around it. People found time for their kids’ bedtime routines, morning walks, and just … breathing.