How will working from home evolve now?

The home was always going to beat the office; the pandemic simply hastened the transition. And it will surely prevail unless there is another shift in core values.

Working from home was always going to beat the office; the pandemic simply hastened the transition. Picture: iStock

In the decade or so before the pandemic a battle raged between the home and the workplace. I think it was triggered by the launch of iPhone in 2007, which enabled people to connect with their work 24/7, via email. Prior to this, work was largely contained within agreed boundaries: five days a week, 9am to 5pm, with a month’s holiday per year.

Suddenly, the office boldly invaded the home via the iPhone, claiming scraps of time after hours on a weekday and on weekends. And the home reciprocated by invading the office via the rise of share-house-style kitchens and work spaces replete with reclining chairs and even beanbags. It was shaping up as a grand battle to win over the hearts and minds (and productive output) of workers. But then along came the pandemic and within six months the home-versus-work issue was resolved in favour of the home. Platforms such as Zoom enabled knowledge workers (and others) to deliver workplace value from the comfort and convenience of their living rooms.

In fact, I think the home was always going to beat the office; the pandemic simply hastened the transition. The reason is simple enough. There are few tasks in the office that cannot be completed these days online. And so when Millennial and younger workers evaluate the cost-benefit of commuting to work versus Zooming from home, the home wins out.

There’s a kind of Faustian pact in play with regard to working from home in the post-pandemic environment, though. Workers may be prepared to tolerate some “after hours” engagement for the benefit of not having to commute. And not having to commute in a city such as Sydney or Melbourne “gives back” a good number of non-remunerated hours to the worker every week, in addition to the cost savings of not using a car or public transport. This benefit drives a compelling logic for workers with young families: “I’m happy to respond to the odd email on a weekend if I can work from home.” And in an era of labour shortages, workers are in a better position to say how they deliver their workplace value.

A consequence of this shift in the place of productive output is the extra attention lavished on the home. Australia’s dormitory suburbs are dormant no more. Home improvement, home technology, home adornment naturally flows when more time is spent at home. The energy and resources otherwise spent in commuting is redirected to the greater glorification of the family home.

We now work from home, shop from home, study from home, watch new films at home; some do Telehealth appointments at home. We have changed the way we work and how we live. It is in part a response to the pandemic, to the values of the next generation of workers and to the rise of new technology.

And it will surely prevail unless there is another shift in core values. The rise of working from home may lead to a diminution in interpersonal social skills. It might lead to burnout, because non-commuting workers are never disconnected from their workplace. Or it may be that this new working arrangement evolves its own set of boundaries. After all, the post-pandemic era will surely require some kind of self-regulation in managing how we choose to work in the 21st century.