Back at the start of the 2000s, telework or remote work was in its infancy. One American 2010 report about telework within the federal government noted that only 8.67 percent of the total eligible federal workforce teleworked in 2008. In 2010, legislation was signed by President Obama that requires federal agencies to develop policies that allow eligible employees to work remotely and to include telecommuting options in emergency contingency plans. Several government positions — including law enforcement officers, park rangers, lab technicians, medical doctors and nurses — are exempt because of the nature of the jobs. By 2011, a report by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management indicated that 32 percent of federal employees were teleworking.
A 2020 study by Statistics Canada noted that approximately 4 in 10 (39%) Canadian workers are in jobs that can plausibly be carried out from home. The corresponding estimate for the United States is 37%. Then came the pandemic which further accelerated the move to telework or so-called hybrid work where employees are required to come to the workplace a certain number of days each week. Physical distancing measures to stop the spread of COVID-19 resulted in a large number of Canadians and Americans working from home, many for the first time. This sudden transition in how the economy is operating raises questions about how many jobs can reasonably be performed from home.
While governments led the way during the pandemic, private sector corporations also needed to examine their alternative working arrangements, leading as well to a significant increase in telework and hybrid work weeks. Subsequently, there have been further studies about the impact on productivity, office space and physical location costs, employee morale, work-life balance, attrition rates, commuting times, etc., etc. More recent studies this past year have found that remote work and hybrid work arrangements appear not to have any detrimental impact on productivity, and in some cases may actually increase productivity. In certain cases, employers preferred the hybrid model as a means to ensuring the orientation of new employees, mentoring opportunities and simply facilitating interaction between employees and supervisors in the workplace. In today’s tight labour force environment, some employers have promoted the possibility of remote work and hybrid arrangements as a means to attract and retain workers.
However, the growth of these alternative arrangements, which are here to stay, has resulted in major impacts on urban centers where many employers are located, especially in the downtown core. Businesses that serviced employees while at work have seen significant declines in demand for their services in the core. Public transit in some communities has also seen significant declines in ridership, as fewer people are commuting to work. Those who decided to live outside the core because it was less costly in terms of housing will more than likely prefer to continue their alternative work arrangements. Female employees in particular have been affected as they tend to work in jobs where telework can be accommodated.
All in all, there has been a major impact on the world of modern work which both the public and private sectors will have to adjust to. What this means for the workforce has to still be further studied. There is little doubt that employers will be experimenting with various ways in which to better accommodate their needs and those of there employees. With the current shortages of skilled labour in both countries, they will have little choice but to adapt.
Reducing overheads, improving customer satisfaction, increasing productivity and staff retention are the core business benefits that stem from alternative working arrangements such as telework. Furthermore, governments and firms are also starting to recognise that their environmental responsibilities can also be better addressed, with teleworking helping to decrease the ever burgeoning congestion problems and cut carbon emissions. Everyone is affected, whether you’re an employer, employee, customer or community leader. Remote working is here to stay in one form or another.
FROLITICKS 