Contextualizing the Remote Work Revolution
For many people, quitting your job and traveling the world has been nothing more than an escapist fantasy. While we were sipping our coffee and staring at our screens last March, few could have predicted that we were on the precipice of a remote work revolution. When offices closed later that month, employees opened their laptops at home and saw a future that expanded beyond the limitations of one cubicle — and many of them never looked back.
It was a tale of two pandemics: essential workers masked up and went to work despite the threat of disease, and office workers that were lucky enough to avoid mass layoffs sat in their pajamas as they attempted to bridge the gap with WiFi. In time, people adjusted to what we now refer to as “the new normal.” After stay-at-home orders incited wanderlust in even the most unadventurous homebodies, some remote workers decided to take advantage of the opportunity to work out of the office, relocating to tropical destinations where they could work and play at the same time.
However, the ramifications of remote work have not gone unnoticed. The lack of community among team members was distinctly felt in every Zoom happy hour and each “pls fix” email. Interns have been deprived of valuable mentorships at the start of their careers, and native people in tropical destinations have been overrun with the instagrammable lifestyle of these digital nomads. Many who packed up and went abroad to work were left with massive tax bills from two countries, and others struggled to return to the United States after finally feeling the isolation of living overseas.
As more people become vaccinated, offices are beginning to reopen, and HR departments are struggling to navigate the post-COVID world. A year ago, employees were laid off at alarming rates, but what goes down must come up, and the job market is currently burgeoning with new opportunities. The people are demanding to work from home. TikTok told its employees that they have the ability to work from home up to two days a week, and other offices remain fully remote for the foreseeable future. While remote work has undeniable benefits, one has to wonder if blurring the lines between work and home really benefits employees.
Members of Generation Z reported higher depression and anxiety rates as a result of increased email communication. The consistent chime of your inbox cannot compare to a quick chat over coffee with a colleague. Relationships that are formed through casual conversation with your desk mate are irreplaceable in even the most engaging Zoom meeting.
The past sixteen months have been nothing short of a roller coaster. The pandemic brought some of the lowest lows for employees and the economy at large, and we can expect to see some high highs as well as we recover. But what goes up must come down. Will offices return to all of their in-person glory? Or will employers need to adapt around employees?
