Companies that maintain traditional attendance policies have been growing at a slower pace than companies that maintain work from home policies, according to a report published by the Flex Index yesterday. The study, which polls 4,500 companies with 30,000 locations, notes that companies that have a work from home policy grew their headcount by more than twice the rate as companies that require employees to work fully from the office. Companies with a full work from home policy grew their workforce by 4.5% over the past year, while companies that require employees to fully work from the office only grew by 2.1%. Companies that employ a hybrid policy saw their headcount rise 4.6%. The report comes as large US-based companies — including Meta, Amazon, Starbucks Corporation, and Walt Disney — are slowly reverting their “work from home” policies post-Covid 19.

These companies do have a point:. A US based study reveals that out-of-office talent is 10% less productive than colleagues who are physically at their desk, according to a report (pdf) by WFH Research, cited in Time Magazine. However, the issue does not translate into hybrid work. Companies, nevertheless, are finding solutions to that concern through use of technology with Zoom meetings, and periodic in-person meetings.

But the advantages are undeniable. Remote work has “removed the restraints of physical location,” co-CEO of Atlassian, Scott Farquhar, — a company that has grown from 4k to 11k employees thanks to more flexible policies over the past four years — is quoted as saying in the article. In turn, it appears that remote and hybrid policies have opened endless possibilities for businesses. Hiring pools are now much larger as corporations can hire people living in further locations, or people with disabilities who cannot commute.

Through chemical imaging, archeologists have discovered hidden details and retouches in Ancient Egyptian paintings. By using X-ray fluorescence scientists have been able to map the painting's surface on a molecular level, allowing them to see details that the naked eye cannot see, CNN reports. These methods are being conducted in the tombs of Menna and Ramses II, Pharaohs of the Ramesside Period.

What’s in the details? With the new portable technology, scientists have discovered new colours , shapes, and apparent edits over time. The most notable reworkings recorded have been the modified position and color of Menna’s arm in a portrait and several retouches on Ramses II’s crown. Researchers suggest that these discoveries should be investigated deeper as the question of the time and reasoning behind the reworkings remain unknown.

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