Multiple crises over the past 18 months have delivered a stark wake-up call to the world. If we’re going to prevent further pandemics, reduce the risks of climate change, build a more equitable society and still generate growth, it’s clear that we’ll have to create more sustainable economies and systems.

After a long pandemic pause, some parts of the world are finally contemplating a restart. Where the virus is subsiding, people can begin assembling an approach to life and business that combines what they miss about the time before COVID-19 and what they discovered during the pandemic. That future must include a plan for those, such as the unemployed, who are still stuck on pause. This week, McKinsey took a deep dive into employment and workplace issues, with multiple studies, articles, and podcasts. A McKinsey survey of 100 executives found that 90 percent envision a future with some combination of remote and on-site work, but most (68 percent) have no detailed plan for how it will work (exhibit). The surveyed executives, from a wide range of industries, have good reason to desire a future with remote options: large numbers say it has led to increases in productivity and customer satisfaction.