Five years ago, working from home was a rare .
Today many companies treat it as a normal arrangement.
Employers noticed two clear benefits almost at once.
fell because less office space was needed.
Staff also dropped, since people valued the flexibility.
The drawbacks, however, took longer to appear.
New employees found much harder without a desk to sit at.
Managers struggled to judge performance when they could not see the work.
Some teams became and stopped sharing what they had learnt.
A hybrid model has emerged as the most firms accept.
Staff come in two or three days a week for meetings that need a room.
The rest of the week is for work that needs quiet.
Whether this arrangement lasts will depend on the next .