Commute work has much more benefits than just saving workers time.
It cuts back on gas consumption and reduces carbon footprint
Keeps cities less cramped
Prevents the spread of COVID, as well as other diseases
Cuts back on consumption (easier to eat homemade food when you're at home instead of awful fast food)
The fact that companies force you in and that the government allows this to happen really just shows that they don't give a shit about you, the environment, or your health. They'd rather run the system into the ground than give up 0.1% profit.
Even if it's impossible for the government to figure out what can be done remotely, there should at least be incentives, such as higher minimum wage for non-remote work, or commute being paid for 30 minutes. That way the companies themselves will try to re-instate remote work. It's also laughable how the US minimum wage is still 7.25 but that's another story.