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The social perils and promoise of remote work

Author

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  • Phil Lord

    (Faculty of Law, McGill University)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed daily life, notably by forcing billions of people to work from home. As restrictions related to the pandemic are eased, companies are reconsidering their real estate footprint and contemplating a long-term move to remote work. This paper takes an in-depth look at this move. It argues that remote work is, like other consequences and aspects of the pandemic, deeply rooted in broader social issues. The move to remote work has the potential to alleviate historic inequities which arise from the demands of the modern workplace - demands which have led women to occupy lower-paying positions. It also argues that the move to remote work can contribute to the increasing precarity of work, by shifting the cost of workspace from employers to employees. It suggests governmental solutions, rooted in law and behavioural economics, which could maximise its potential and protect workers from its perils.

Suggested Citation

  • Phil Lord, 2020. "The social perils and promoise of remote work," Journal of Behavioral Economics for Policy, Society for the Advancement of Behavioral Economics (SABE), vol. 4(S), pages 63-67, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:beh:jbepv1:v:4:y:2020:i:s:p:63-67
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Cass R. Sunstein, 2020. "The meaning of masks," Journal of Behavioral Economics for Policy, Society for the Advancement of Behavioral Economics (SABE), vol. 4(S), pages 5-8, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Johannes Moser & Fabian Wenner & Alain Thierstein, 2022. "Working From Home and Covid-19: Where Could Residents Move to?," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 7(3), pages 15-34.
    2. Michelle Baddeley, 2020. "COVID-19 2020: A year of living dangerously," Journal of Behavioral Economics for Policy, Society for the Advancement of Behavioral Economics (SABE), vol. 4(S3), pages 5-9, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    COVID-19; remote work; precarious work; labor law;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J81 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Standards - - - Working Conditions
    • J88 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Standards - - - Public Policy
    • K31 - Law and Economics - - Other Substantive Areas of Law - - - Labor Law

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