Remote working, now and forevermore?
The Covid-19 outbreak has led to a worldwide experiment in remote working as employees across the world are forced to self-isolate. But will workers return to the office en masse once the disruption caused by the pandemic ends? Or will working from home become the new normal?
Remote working, once quaintly known as telecommuting, has been on the rise for decades, thanks to the availability of digital communication and collaboration tools that enable staff to do their jobs outside of physical office. The trend has accelerated in recent years, aided by a new breed of business-focused group chat apps like Slack and more reliable, user-friendly videoconferencing tools that make it easier to connect with colleagues and be productive without sitting the same office, or even the same country.