The hidden toll of remote work

‘Switching to Zoom forever might be convenient, but it’s a recipe for loneliness.

‘Between one-third and one-half of American employees worked in person throughout the pandemic, with or without a say in the matter, and some at great personal risk. Most of the rest of us were forced to work from home, also without necessarily wanting to. And in fact, almost two-thirds of people in a poll last fall felt that the cons of working from home outweighed the pros, and nearly a third said they had considered quitting their jobs since being banned from the workplace. In another poll, about 70 percent said that mixing work and other responsibilities had become a source of stress, and about three in four American workers in the early days of the pandemic confessed to being “burned out”.’

Read here (The Atlantic, Apr 1, 2021) 

What Covid-19 has done to our well-being, in 12 charts

‘How has Covid-19 and the related shift to WFH affected workers? A group of researchers surveyed HBR readers and others in the fall of 2020 and found that the vast majority reported declines in both general and workplace well-being. The biggest culprits? Mental health struggles, increased job demands, and home-life challenges. A much smaller percentage reported an increase in well-being, attributing it to reduced commutes and business travel and having more time to focus on health.’

Read here (Harvard Business Review, Feb 10, 2021)

Coronavirus: How the world of work may change forever

‘More than seven months have passed since the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a pandemic. Hundreds of millions of people have lived through lockdowns. Many have made the abrupt shift to working from home; millions have lost jobs. The future looks uncertain. We don't know when, or if, our societies might return to normal – or what kind of scars the pandemic will leave.

‘Amid the upheaval, BBC Worklife spoke to dozens of experts, leaders and professionals across the globe to ask: what are the greatest unknowns we face? How will we work, live and thrive in the post-pandemic future? How is Covid-19 reshaping our world – potentially, forever?

‘We’ll roll out these important views from some of the top minds in business, public health and many other fields in several articles over the next few weeks. We'll hear from people including Melinda Gates on gender equality, Zoom founder Eric Yuan on the future of video calls, Lonely Planet founder Tony Wheeler on what’s next in travel and Unesco chief Audrey Azoulay on the ethics of artificial intelligence.’

Read here (BBC, as at Oct 26, 2020)

Working life has entered a new era: Farewell BC (before coronavirus). Welcome AD (after domestication)

‘Without the Monday-to-Friday commute, the weekend seems a more nebulous concept, as does the 9-to-5 working day. In future employees may work and take breaks when they please, with the company video call the only fixture. The downside, however, is that the rhythm of life has been disrupted and new routines are needed: as Madness, a British pop group, sang about school in “Baggy Trousers”, people are reduced to “trying different ways to make a difference to the days”.’

Read here (The Economist, May 30, 2020)

Why you might be missing your commute

“You can’t disentangle home and work anymore, and that’s not always easy,” says Jon Jachimowicz, an assistant professor in the Organizational Behavior Unit at Harvard Business School. A new study, co-authored by Jachimowicz, examines the function of the commute as a psychological threshold between home and work.

According to the study, the daily commute offers an opportunity for people to engage in “role-clarifying prospection”, meaning it gives them time and space to think about the upcoming work role. “Through role-clarifying prospection, employees mentally shift their attention from what they are experiencing in the present - thoughts pertaining to their commute, or thoughts unrelated to their past or future role - to what they will be experiencing when they arrive at work, namely, thoughts pertaining to their workday,” the authors write.

Read here (BBC, May 21, 2020)

When it’s time to go back to the office, will it still be there?

‘In a late-April survey among corporate real estate users by the trade group CoreNet Global, 94% of respondents said employees will spend more time working remotely even after the pandemic is over. And 69% said firms will use less real estate in the future as a result of remote work, up from 51% in March... “The supply and demand for office space may change significantly,” Warren Buffett said earlier this month at Berkshire Hathaway Inc.’s annual meeting. “When change happens in the world, you adjust to it.”

Read here (Wall Street Journal, May 16, 2020)

Naomi Klein: How big tech plans to profit from the pandemic

‘The issue is not whether schools must change in the face of a highly contagious virus for which we have neither cure nor inoculation. Like every institution where humans gather in groups, they will change. The trouble, as always in these moments of collective shock, is the absence of public debate about what those changes should look like, and who they should benefit – private tech companies or students?

‘The same questions need to be asked about health. Avoiding doctor’s offices and hospitals during a pandemic makes good sense. But telehealth misses a huge amount. So we need to have an evidence-based debate about the pros and cons of spending scarce public resources on telehealth – rather than on more trained nurses, equipped with all the necessary protective equipment, who are able to make house calls to diagnose and treat patients in their homes.’

Read here (The Guardian, May 13, 2020)

Inc.'s essential business survival guide for the Covid-19 crisis

‘Inc.'s solutions center offers expert advice on handling panicked customers, interrupted supply chains, webinars, Zoom meetings, hyper kids, and a work environment that changes by the hour.” America-oriented, however, there many generic lessons that businesses anywhere can learn from. More specifically, for example, tips on working from home:

• The right way to keep your remote team accountable
• Some jobs can't be done remotely. Here's what business owners are doing to keep those employees safe
• Working from home? Here are 7 things you should start doing today
• A beginner's guide to working from home without driving yourself and your family crazy
• 23 essential tips for working remotely
• How to avoid loneliness and isolation when you live alone and work from home’

Read here (Inc, April 27, 2020)

Work from home tips for staying sane and productive during stressful times of Covid-19 lockdowns

‘Whether you’re new to working from home or you’ve worked remotely for years, COVID-19 is presenting challenges for all workers right now. It’s stressful enough to process the big changes happening to our economy and society, but there’s probably a lot happening within your own home too.

‘While all these changes add stress to your day, it can be tough to concentrate. Here are a few tips we’ve learned over the years to stay productive and focused during difficult times.’

Read here (Upwork, March 20, 2020)

Moving online now: How to keep teaching during coronavirus

‘As the coronavirus spreads, colleges are scrambling to respond to potential health-care crises, campus closings, and other issues that are arising and evolving on a daily basis. A major challenge: How can institutions continue to offer instruction if they decide to close or to cancel in-person classes? A growing number are moving classes online as a short-term solution. This special Chronicle collection includes our best advice guides and opinion pieces on online learning, to help faculty and staff members make the adjustment if that time comes.’

Download here (Ohio State University, March 19, 2020)