Dana Sumpter Analyzes the End of the Digital Nomad Era and What Comes Next for Remote Work

As global work trends continue to shift, Pepperdine Graziadio faculty member Dana Sumpter is offering critical insight into the evolving realities of remote work. In a recent feature with Quartz, Sumpter explained that the once-booming era of digital nomadism, fueled by pandemic-era flexibility and a strong labor market, is tightening as employers, governments, and economic forces reshape what remote work looks like today.

According to Sumpter, the world is not experiencing a full reversal of remote work, but rather an “evolution, not revolution.” She notes that while millions of jobs were rapidly pushed into remote formats during the pandemic, the pendulum is now swinging back. Employers are regaining leverage in the labor market and increasingly reinstating in-office expectations, often without reassessing the actual needs of the work itself. This return to “what feels comfortable,” she warns, risks sidelining key lessons learned about productivity, flexibility, and employee well-being.

Sumpter also emphasizes that the rollback of flexible work disproportionately impacts caregivers, disabled workers, and employees from underrepresented groups, professionals who benefited significantly from remote arrangements that reduced commute burdens and office politics. For these groups, she argues, return-to-office mandates are not simply policy changes but critical equity concerns. “If a company is going to roll back remote, it needs a very good justification — and real support for those affected,” she said.

Despite these challenges, Sumpter remains cautiously optimistic. She anticipates that organizations will increasingly turn to evidence-based decision-making as research continues to clarify the benefits and limitations of remote and hybrid models. In her view, the future of work lies in moving beyond outdated “ideal worker norms” and recognizing that traditional Monday–Friday, 8–5 structures no longer reflect the realities of modern work.

As companies navigate this transition, Sumpter’s research continues to shape national conversations about workplace policy, employee well-being, and the long-term implications of flexible work.

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