The science of making the most of in-person work - whether it's one day a week or five.
For the first time in history, millions of workers can do their jobs from anywhere - and the result is the most contentious workplace debate in generations. Now In Person offers the post-pandemic data that demonstrates why hybrid working is here to stay, and how to make it work for everyone.

Harvard-trained economists Natalia Emanuel and Emma Harrington are leading researchers on remote and in-person work. They've spent years tracking millions of work hours across industries, analyzing Fortune 500 companies, startups, tech companies, and call centres. Their findings?

Remote work is good for crossing tasks off a to-do list, but it erodes the quality of our work, stifles creativity, and has negative effects on mental health.

When we're together, our brain-to-brain synchrony increases 10x, accelerating creativity, mentorship, and innovation. That’s why Pixar animators, Nobel Prize winners, and Silicon Valley founders have come up with their best ideas face-to-face with one another.

Working side-by-side can be a powerful force to supercharge company performance. But many office policies miss this mark, focusing on employee attendance, instead of colleague alignment. Emanuel and Harrington offer solutions on how to craft the right policy. Backed with the latest research on the science of work, In Person offers tactical steps to make the most of in-office time, covering:

• How to calculate the right number of on-site days for your specific organization
• The playbook for preserving employee flexibility without losing the power of being together
• Why some return to office mandates fail spectacularly–and how to succeed

After years of confusion, animosity, and conflicting mandates, In Person finally delivers the answers in a clear, evidence-based roadmap for making smarter decisions. Here, at last, is the data instead of the drama.

© Emma Harrington and Natalia Emanuel 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026