Changing Places of Work

Abstract

During the coronavirus pandemic, governments across the world either requested or insisted that work was carried out at home if possible. This chapter reviews what impact the shift of work into the home had – and continues to have – on the lives of millions of employees, the organisations which employ them, and the societies in which they live. For employees, this includes the lengthening of the working day, the intensification of work, the spill-over of work into family life, the difficulties of learning on-the-job, the fear that individuals may be passed over for promotion when out of sight, and concerns that extending surveillance and monitoring into the sanctity of the home. For employers who have traditionally relied on making workers visible and requiring their presence, off-site working may be challenging to manage, and employees may become less productive. For society, less travel may help to reduce carbon emissions, but businesses catering for city-centre office-based workers may struggle to survive in a world where commuting levels fail to bounce back to pre-pandemic levels. This will have implications for city and town planning as consumption patterns shift away from city centres to the suburbs where people live and work.

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