tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/telework-4240/articlesTelework – The Conversation2024-01-15T19:18:02Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2099622024-01-15T19:18:02Z2024-01-15T19:18:02ZWorking from home since COVID-19? Cabin fever could be the next challenge<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568741/original/file-20240110-25-1xi2zx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=16%2C92%2C5590%2C3640&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Being confined to our homes for long periods without access to different activities can expose teleworkers to cabin fever.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/working-from-home-since-covid-19-cabin-fever-could-be-the-next-challenge" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>As Canada opened back up after the COVID-19 lockdowns, many businesses encouraged their workers to head back to the office. Yet, despite restrictions being lifted in Canada and around the world, teleworking as a regular working arrangement has remained <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/careers/leadership/article-while-most-canadians-prefer-working-from-home-survey-highlights/">popular across different industries</a>. </p>
<p>Different polls over the last three years show an increased interest in teleworking among Canadian workers. The polls indicated that many <a href="https://financialpost.com/fp-work/canadians-work-from-home-more">Canadians prefer teleworking</a> and some <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/8812305/canadian-workers-remote-jobs-ipsos-poll/">would consider changing careers to maintain their teleworking status</a>. </p>
<p>The popularity of teleworking seems obvious enough. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0921-3449(02)00082-4">It provides more flexibility</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2006.12.004">reduces the need to commute</a> and can <a href="https://researchbank.swinburne.edu.au/items/3e7c083c-e708-4a31-bf86-a522d65637a1/1/">improve productivity</a>, among other indirect benefits. </p>
<p>However, being confined to our homes for long periods without access to different activities can expose teleworkers to cabin fever, <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/cabin-fever#signs">a lack of motivation and anxiety</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568743/original/file-20240110-21-p8398h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A man with a young child in his lap working on a laptop." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568743/original/file-20240110-21-p8398h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568743/original/file-20240110-21-p8398h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=431&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568743/original/file-20240110-21-p8398h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=431&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568743/original/file-20240110-21-p8398h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=431&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568743/original/file-20240110-21-p8398h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=541&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568743/original/file-20240110-21-p8398h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=541&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568743/original/file-20240110-21-p8398h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=541&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Teleworkers can find contentment in having more daily interactions with their partners, children and immediate family.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Benefits and downsides of remote work</h2>
<p>In a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-9822-5_175">recently published study</a>, we conducted extensive interviews with 14 teleworkers who moved during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. We found that remote working arrangements enabled some people to move away from big cities and economic centres to purchase homes in more affordable areas. In some cases, teleworkers were able to achieve better living standards that were not possible without teleworking. </p>
<p>Another indirect impact of telework was the health benefits associated with higher productivity and less commuting. Most of us have first-hand experience of exhaustion after long commutes in the morning and back from work in the afternoon. That fatigue can often leave us feeling spent. Not needing to commute means we can be more productive and accomplish more with our day.</p>
<p>There are other indirect benefits like having more time to cook meals at home, eating healthier, <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-canadians-savings-stockpile-is-a-300-billion-quandary-for-the/">having increased financial flexibility</a> and improved overall quality of life.</p>
<p>However, along with all these benefits, there are some downsides that people should consider before signing up for remote work. If you plan to move away from the city to a more affordable area, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00038628.2023.2253780">our research shows you will probably become car dependent</a>. </p>
<p>Moving away might also mean leaving friends and family behind. That means you either need to travel farther to visit them, resulting in higher travel costs, or you will not see them as often as you’d like. </p>
<p>That might be fine for some, but others might need a significant degree of social interaction while working from home. Not being able to see family and friends as often can be isolating and detrimental to our well-being.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568744/original/file-20240110-22-4hv48m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A woman wearing exercise clothes sits on a floor using a laptop. Dumbbells are on he floor beside her." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568744/original/file-20240110-22-4hv48m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568744/original/file-20240110-22-4hv48m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=370&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568744/original/file-20240110-22-4hv48m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=370&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568744/original/file-20240110-22-4hv48m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=370&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568744/original/file-20240110-22-4hv48m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=466&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568744/original/file-20240110-22-4hv48m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=466&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568744/original/file-20240110-22-4hv48m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=466&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Small actions such as short walks, exercising and social interactions can help reduce cabin fever.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Dealing with cabin fever</h2>
<p>Teleworkers might experience reduced social interactions after a while or have reduced physical activity. Being at home for extended periods of time can leave some feeling like they’re experiencing <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.shaw.2021.01.010">cabin fever</a>. The symptoms of cabin fever include <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/cabin-fever">irritability, feelings of restlessness and loneliness</a>.</p>
<p>Habits and behaviours might change over time after moving away or working fully remotely. Behavioural changes can encompass a broad spectrum, including but not limited to shifts in transportation mode, thermostat setpoints, physical activity and numerous other traits, all of which can significantly impact both the lives of teleworkers and the environment.</p>
<p>Some teleworkers find contentment in having more social interactions with their partners, children and family. Others might need a certain degree of social interaction with their co-workers in the office. And some other individuals might need active social interactions with their friends, family members, and co-workers. </p>
<p>Teleworking without social interaction or physical activity can lead to cabin fever in the long run. Most of us who worked during lockdowns experienced the urge to leave the home even for a short walk. Small actions such as short walks, exercising and social interactions can help reduce cabin fever. Teleworkers should constantly be aware of such impacts of teleworking that can impact their quality of life in the long run. </p>
<p>Whether moving away from the city or staying downtown, working fully remotely can trigger cabin fever if teleworkers develop bad habits and behaviours. To avoid such problems in the long run, remote workers should consider how they can maintain social interactions, physical activity, and other wellness practices. Such activities can provide necessary breaks from the confines of their homes, helping to prevent cabin fever and foster healthy teleworking habits and behaviours.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/209962/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>While teleworking can come with many benefits, being alone at home can leave us feeling isolated and unmotivated.Farzam Sepanta, PhD Candidate, Building Engineering, Carleton UniversityLaura Arpan, Professor, Department of Communication, University at BuffaloLiam O'Brien, Professor in Architectural Conservation and Sustainability Engineering, Carleton UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2150472023-10-15T12:27:49Z2023-10-15T12:27:49ZThe impact of work on well-being: 6 factors that will affect the future of work and health inequalities<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/553696/original/file-20231013-21-iobxz7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=1140%2C729%2C4035%2C2661&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">If public health bodies and policymakers put greater focus on improving the work environment, it could achieve major gains in population health and reduce health inequities.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/the-impact-of-work-on-well-being-6-factors-that-will-affect-the-future-of-work-and-health-inequalities" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Work has long been considered a <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/health-promotion/population-health/what-determines-health.html">social determinant of health</a>. Like housing, education, income security and other matters of economic and social policy, work can be a key factor in creating, maintaining or exacerbating unequal health outcomes across different societal groups. </p>
<p>But if work is already understood to be a social determinant of health by regulators and policymakers, it has been underused as a lever to address health inequities. That’s the main case we — an international group of work and health researchers — have made in a series of articles on the relationships between work and health <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/series/work-and-health">recently published in <em>The Lancet</em></a>. </p>
<p>In these articles, we suggest that if public health bodies and policymakers put greater focus on improving the work environment, it could achieve major gains in population health and reduce health inequities. </p>
<p>There are historical examples that demonstrate this is possible — such as the <a href="https://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:12100:0::NO::P12100_ILO_CODE:C001">1919 Hours of Work Convention</a>, where International Labour Organization member states agreed to limit working hours to improve health — but they remain infrequent. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Three construction workers in hardhats and orange vests seen from above" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/553697/original/file-20231013-28-yirgbv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/553697/original/file-20231013-28-yirgbv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553697/original/file-20231013-28-yirgbv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553697/original/file-20231013-28-yirgbv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553697/original/file-20231013-28-yirgbv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553697/original/file-20231013-28-yirgbv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553697/original/file-20231013-28-yirgbv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Not enough attention is paid to the role that work conditions and environments play in creating, worsening or even alleviating health inequities.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Instead, occupational health tends to be siloed from broader population health, and occupational health and safety activity tends to focus on visible work hazards related to injuries and illnesses. Less attention is paid to the role that work conditions and environments play in creating, worsening or even alleviating health inequities. </p>
<p>Yet, broader societal factors such as immigration, affordable daycare, education and training, and disability policy impact the availability and nature of work; and work conditions also have reciprocal impacts on these societal factors.</p>
<h2>Work and health</h2>
<p>The unequal distribution of diseases across occupational groups has been <a href="https://doi.org/10.2105%2FAJPH.91.9.1382">documented since the 1700s</a>. However, it wasn’t until the 1980s, with studies using large employer cohorts, such as the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyh372">Whitehall cohorts</a>, that modern research methods of epidemiology (causes and distribution of diseases and health) were used to break down the contributions of specific lifestyle, biomedical and work-related factors on differences in worker health.</p>
<p>The Whitehall studies on white-collar civil servants — occupations historically considered safe — highlighted that <a href="https://reflexus.org/wp-content/uploads/wii-booklet.pdf">factors such as low control over one’s work</a> were related to leading causes of disease. </p>
<p>In the decades since, research methods and opportunities to link data have evolved. Large multinational cohorts, including hundreds of thousands of participants linked to administrative health service data, <a href="https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.3485">are now possible</a>. </p>
<p>These advances in data and quantitative methods increasingly allow us to ask more policy-relevant <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/oemed-2023-109085">“what if” questions</a> about the broader health impacts of changes to specific aspects of the work environment. </p>
<h2>Factors that will affect work and health inequity</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Agricultural workers in a field" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/553612/original/file-20231013-23-xynr1k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/553612/original/file-20231013-23-xynr1k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553612/original/file-20231013-23-xynr1k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553612/original/file-20231013-23-xynr1k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553612/original/file-20231013-23-xynr1k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553612/original/file-20231013-23-xynr1k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553612/original/file-20231013-23-xynr1k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Policymakers need to pay attention to the distinctive patterns of health inequities experienced by different groups of migrant workers and provide tailored protective measures for each group.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/series/work-and-health"><em>Lancet</em> series</a> includes a paper that analyzes evidence and provides recommendations on <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(23)00869-3">workplace mental health</a>, and another that focuses on <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(23)00868-1">labour market inclusion</a>. </p>
<p>In addition to these areas, we also prioritize <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(23)00871-1">six factors that will impact work and health inequities</a> into the future. These are: </p>
<ol>
<li><p><strong>Telework</strong>. The rise in telework or remote work can lead to reduced psychosocial support from colleagues and greater social isolation. It may also erode responsibility by both employers and regulators for ensuring health and safety of those working from home.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>International migrant workers</strong>. Refugees, immigrant and temporary migrant workers experience different labour market and <a href="https://doi.org/10.25318/82-003-x201900400001-eng">health trajectories</a> after arrival in Canada. Policymakers need to pay attention to the distinctive patterns of health inequities experienced by different groups of migrant workers and provide tailored protective measures for each group. </p></li>
<li><p><strong>Intersections between gender, age, race, ethnicity and social class</strong>. We need to pay attention to the compounding effects that different social stratifiers have on the types of jobs (and subsequent differences in physical and psychological exposures at work) available to different groups in society, and identify opportunities to address these differences. </p></li>
<li><p><strong>Precarious employment</strong>. With the continued erosion of full-time, permanent jobs and the rise of platform-based gig work, precarious work continues to spread across the global labour force. While precarious work is associated with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.22535">greater workplace hazards and fewer protections</a>, there is no reason this needs to be the case. We need to develop and implement innovative approaches, such as portable benefits, to make this type of work relationship safer.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Long and irregular work hours</strong>. Working long or irregular hours is associated with higher risks of <a href="https://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_792131/lang--en/index.htm">stroke and heart disease</a>, greater alcohol use and work injuries. Regulations on working time are a central theme of labour rights and labour protections, but the relationship between working time and worker health depends on social context. While those in secure and stable work may see health benefits from working fewer hours, for those in freelance, contract, self-employed and other similar arrangements, reduced hours means less income security. </p></li>
<li><p><strong>Climate change</strong>. The effects of climate change on work are difficult to predict, though potentially severe. While it is clear that increased ambient temperature, air pollution, ultraviolet radiation exposure, extreme weather and the spread of vector-borne diseases will directly <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/15459624.2016.1179388">impact some industries and occupations</a>, the flow-on effects across the labour market are less clear. We need to ensure these effects are not disproportionately impacting those in the lowest-paid jobs, who likely have the least resources to withstand the challenges. </p></li>
</ol>
<h2>Reducing health inequities</h2>
<p>In the face of these emerging challenges, there is a need to develop and test interventions to reduce work-related determinants of unequal health.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="People in white chef uniforms working in a restaurant kitchen" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/553698/original/file-20231013-19-igp16f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/553698/original/file-20231013-19-igp16f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553698/original/file-20231013-19-igp16f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553698/original/file-20231013-19-igp16f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553698/original/file-20231013-19-igp16f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553698/original/file-20231013-19-igp16f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553698/original/file-20231013-19-igp16f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Regulations about hazards at work have been the exclusive domain of occupational health and safety specialists for too long.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>These interventions can target individual workers when appropriate, but to be most effective, they should focus more broadly on changes at the organizational level, such as workplaces, and at sectoral and societal levels, including provincial, territorial and national policies that affect workplaces. This will only be possible with greater collaboration across both research and professional disciplines, as well as provincial and federal ministries. </p>
<p>Regulations about hazards at work have been the exclusive domain of occupational health and safety specialists for too long. Addressing the broader aspects of work and working conditions that are social determinants of health will need greater involvement from other fields, including economists, legal scholars, and social and political scientists. </p>
<p>Occupational health needs to work hand-in-hand with other sectors — including but not limited to public health — to develop, implement and evaluate policy solutions that will help make the work people do, and the environments they work in, healthier and more equitable.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/215047/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Peter Smith receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, WorkSafeBC and the Ontario Workplace Safety & Insurance Board. The Institute for Work & Health is supported in part through funding from the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Arjumand Siddiqi receives funding from the Canadian Institute of Health Research and the Government of Canada's Canada Research Chairs Program. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Cameron Mustard receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. The Institute for Work & Health is supported in part through funding from the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>John William Frank has only ever received research funding from public sector research funding agencies in Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. - many millions of dollars over the last 40 years. All of that funding terminated in 2021, as he is now largely retired. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Reiner Rugulies is employed at the National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark (NFA), which is a Danish governmental sector research institute under the ministry of employment. Rugulies’s work at NFA is funded by several research grants from public funding agencies, including the Danish Working Environment Research Fund, the European Union Horizon 2020 Research Programme and the European Union Horizon Europe Research Programme.</span></em></p>The work environment is a social determinant of health. However, work has been underused as a lever to address health inequalities.Peter Smith, Senior Scientist, Institute for Work & Health. Professor, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of TorontoArjumand Siddiqi, Professor and Canada Research Chair in Population Health Equity, University of TorontoCameron Mustard, Professor of Epidemiology (Emeritis), University of TorontoJohn William Frank, Professorial Fellow, Usher Institute of Population Health Sciences and Informatics, The University of EdinburghReiner Rugulies, Adjunct Professor, Psychosocial Medicine, Section of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, University of CopenhagenLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1898352022-09-07T09:15:10Z2022-09-07T09:15:10ZDigital nomads have rejected the office and now want to replace the nation state. But there is a darker side to this quest for global freedom<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/483184/original/file-20220907-18-ap277n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=81%2C54%2C5907%2C3917&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.alamy.com/hand-of-man-use-smartphone-and-laptop-with-technology-of-globalization-connectivity-conceptual-image213531571.html?imageid=FA34637C-3EEA-447E-83C6-F1660031BDF5&p=177357&pn=1&searchId=8f490f8acdd30777ba030c7c63a84da9&searchtype=0">Vasin Leenanuruksa / Alamy</a></span></figcaption></figure><blockquote>
<p>A ‘network state’ is ideologically aligned but geographically decentralised. The people are spread around the world in clusters of varying size, but their hearts are in one place.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In June 2022 Balaji Srinivasan, former chief technology officer of the Coinbase cryptocurrency exchange, published an ebook entitled <a href="https://thenetworkstate.com/">The Network State: How To Start a New Country</a>. It is the latest in a flurry of utopian visions by self-styled digital visionaries, crypto believers and web 3.0 evangelists who are lining up to declare the death of the traditional concept of countries and nationhood. </p>
<p>In one case, a new “virtual” country is already in development. “The nation state is outdated – it’s based on 19th-century thinking, and we aim to upend all of that,” Lauren Razavi tells me over Zoom from a bustling co-working space.</p>
<p>Razavi is the executive director of <a href="https://plumia.org/about/">Plumia</a>, a self-proclaimed “moonshot mission” to build an internet country for digital nomads. Born in Britain to an Iranian immigrant, Razavi sees herself as untethered and borderless, and likens national citizenship and tax to a “subscription” that is very hard to cancel. </p>
<p>“We’re all enrolled into this automatic subscription based on the coincidence of our birthplace or our heritage, and that really doesn’t work in the 21st century.”</p>
<hr>
<iframe id="noa-web-audio-player" style="border: none" src="https://embed-player.newsoveraudio.com/v4?key=x84olp&id=https://theconversation.com/digital-nomads-have-rejected-the-office-and-now-want-to-replace-the-nation-state-but-there-is-a-darker-side-to-this-quest-for-global-freedom-189835&bgColor=F5F5F5&color=D8352A&playColor=D8352A" width="100%" height="110px"></iframe>
<p><em>You can listen to more articles from The Conversation, narrated by Noa, <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/audio-narrated-99682">here</a>.</em></p>
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<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/482592/original/file-20220903-29445-pnlr93.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Woman at a laptop in an internet cafe" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/482592/original/file-20220903-29445-pnlr93.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/482592/original/file-20220903-29445-pnlr93.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=339&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482592/original/file-20220903-29445-pnlr93.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=339&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482592/original/file-20220903-29445-pnlr93.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=339&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482592/original/file-20220903-29445-pnlr93.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=426&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482592/original/file-20220903-29445-pnlr93.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=426&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482592/original/file-20220903-29445-pnlr93.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=426&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Lauren Razavi, executive director of Plumia.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Photograph: Barbara Jovanovic</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Freedom for everyone?</h2>
<p>As an <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/anthropology/people/research-students/dave-cook">anthropologist</a>, I have been chronicling the digital nomad lifestyle – and their <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0308275X221120172">tangled relationship with state institution</a>s – for the past seven years. Pre-pandemic, the <a href="https://theconversation.com/digital-nomads-what-its-really-like-to-work-while-travelling-the-world-99345">popular stereotype</a> was of a carefree millennial who had escaped the daily grind to travel the world without hindrance, working on a laptop in some far-flung beach cafe with their only limitation being the quality of the wifi. </p>
<p>As long ago as 2015, I was hearing recurring complaints from these nomads about the ideological and practical frictions that nation states pose – it just hadn’t organised itself into a movement yet.</p>
<p>For a while, COVID-19 appeared to put the brakes on the nomadic dream, as most were forced to head home to western countries and the safety net of healthcare systems. Yet now, the <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.1201/9781003094937-10/global-remote-work-revolution-future-work-dave-cook">remote working revolution</a> triggered by the pandemic has given this borderless lifestyle “project” a <a href="https://theconversation.com/remote-work-visas-will-shape-the-future-of-work-travel-and-citizenship-145078">new impetus</a>.</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/288776/original/file-20190820-170910-8bv1s7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/288776/original/file-20190820-170910-8bv1s7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/288776/original/file-20190820-170910-8bv1s7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/288776/original/file-20190820-170910-8bv1s7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/288776/original/file-20190820-170910-8bv1s7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/288776/original/file-20190820-170910-8bv1s7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/288776/original/file-20190820-170910-8bv1s7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><strong><em>This story is part of Conversation Insights</em></strong>
<br><em>The Insights team generates <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/insights-series-71218">long-form journalism</a> and is working with academics from different backgrounds who have been engaged in projects to tackle societal and scientific challenges.</em></p>
<hr>
<p>Before COVID struck, <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/12/09/how-the-coronavirus-outbreak-has-and-hasnt-changed-the-way-americans-work/">12% of workers in the US</a> worked remotely full time, and <a href="https://post.parliament.uk/the-impact-of-remote-and-flexible-working-arrangements/">5% in the UK</a>. But the pandemic quickly proved remote work was possible for many more people. Workplace norms toppled like dominos: the office, in-person meetings and the daily commute fell first. Countries such as Barbados, Estonia and Portugal started issuing <a href="https://theconversation.com/remote-work-visas-will-shape-the-future-of-work-travel-and-citizenship-145078">remote work visas</a> to encourage geographically flexible employees to relocate to their territories. “<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2021/11/03/small-towns-and-cities-are-offering-up-to-20000-for-remote-workers-to-relocate/">Zoom towns</a>” are another trend, with towns such as Augusta, Maine in the US offering financial sweeteners to attract remote workers.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/remote-work-visas-will-shape-the-future-of-work-travel-and-citizenship-145078">Remote-work visas will shape the future of work, travel and citizenship</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<p>Having consigned the office to the trash, it makes sense that the nation state is the <a href="https://time.com/6211405/internet-country-plumia-remote-work/">next institution that digital nomads want to recycle</a>. To Razavi, membership of a nation state “offers incredibly poor value … The aspects that are really stuck in the past include citizenship, passports and tax. Our vision is to upload the nation state to the cloud.”</p>
<p>The concept of <a href="https://plumia.org/foundations-for-a-country-on-the-internet/">creating an internet country</a> was dreamt up during a company hackathon. Plumia is owned and staffed by <a href="https://safetywing.com/">Safety Wing</a>, an HQ-less insurance company which sells travel and health cover to digital nomads and remote working teams (tagline: “Insurance for nomads by nomads”). Safety Wing, according to its homepage, is “here to remove the role of geographical borders as a barrier to equal opportunities and freedom for everyone”. </p>
<p>But the realities of life as a digital nomad, and the dream of shedding your nationality for a borderless, paperless version, are full of day-to-day complications, as I have discovered – particularly if you do not belong to the young, white and western stereotype that the media tends to perpetuate.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3vmtz1xPFSM?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Trailer for an early DNX conference.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Becoming a digital nomad</h2>
<p>I first heard about digital nomads in 2015 while chatting to Thom*, a seasoned traveller in Koh Phangan. Thom was neither expat nor tourist, and rarely seemed to return home. I asked him how people survived while constantly travelling. He had a laundry list of problems, from hassles subletting his apartment in Hamburg to his bank stalking him for a permanent address, and the hell of navigating visa rules. </p>
<p>Later in the conversation, he paused and declared, “You’re talking about digital nomads – I can’t believe you’ve never heard of them!” Laughing, he explained, “It’s someone a bit like me but who thinks the bottom layer of <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-maslows-hierarchy-of-needs-4136760">Maslow’s hierarchy of needs</a> is fast wifi instead of shelter. There’s a digital nomad conference happening in Bangkok in a few months. Let’s go.”</p>
<p><strong>How digital nomads see themselves:</strong></p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/482979/original/file-20220906-14-hcnvv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Work/mobility chart" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/482979/original/file-20220906-14-hcnvv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/482979/original/file-20220906-14-hcnvv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=548&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482979/original/file-20220906-14-hcnvv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=548&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482979/original/file-20220906-14-hcnvv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=548&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482979/original/file-20220906-14-hcnvv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=689&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482979/original/file-20220906-14-hcnvv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=689&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482979/original/file-20220906-14-hcnvv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=689&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Self-described digital nomads were asked to mark where they see themselves on the above work focus/mobility axes. Their ‘core zone’ is shown in red.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Diagram: Dave Cook and Tony Simonovsky</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Two months later, I was walking up Rangnam Road in Bangkok on a humid morning, looking for the <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/DNXGlobal/dnx-digital-nomad-conference/">DNX conference</a>. Just off the plane and struggling with jetlag, I visited a coffee shop and overheard two German men discussing the conference. Fabian, who was dressed in camo cargo shorts and a black T-shirt, told me he was giving the keynote speech. He planned to share his experiences of driving across Africa playing guitar for charity, and of setting up a borderless tech start-up while travelling through South America.</p>
<p>At the conference venue I found crowds of people checking-in using Eventbrite apps. Lanyards with the slogan “I CHOOSE FREEDOM” were handed out. At this stage, I didn’t question what kind of freedom.</p>
<p>Most attendees were casually dressed men from the global north in their 20s and 30s. Although most carried small backpacks, no one looked like a backpacker. The men were in shorts and navy or khaki polo shirts. The few women present wore neutral sundresses. No one would have looked out of place in a business meeting in an international hotel lobby.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Conference wristband" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/482703/original/file-20220905-22-d98seb.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/482703/original/file-20220905-22-d98seb.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=221&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482703/original/file-20220905-22-d98seb.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=221&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482703/original/file-20220905-22-d98seb.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=221&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482703/original/file-20220905-22-d98seb.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=278&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482703/original/file-20220905-22-d98seb.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=278&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482703/original/file-20220905-22-d98seb.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=278&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">DNX conference wristband.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Dave Cook</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Digital nomads vigorously differentiate themselves from tourists and backpackers. One nomad told me, “I’d be bored shitless if I hung around on the beach all day getting stoned.” Nevertheless, these two tribes often collide in locations like Ko Pha Ngan or Chiang Mai in Thailand.</p>
<p>Talks at the conference often repeated the word “freedom”. Freedom to live and work anywhere, freedom from the rat race, entrepreneurial freedom, freedom to take control of your life and destiny. Other well-worn themes included “life hacks” enabling nomadic businesses to function efficiently on the move, the role of co-working spaces, and inspirational travelogues.</p>
<p>In the conference introduction by DNX founders Marcus Meurer and Feli Hargarten (also known, respectively, as Sonic Blue and Yara Joy), a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOAIXwUZdU8">YouTube video</a> entitled The Rise of Lowsumerism was played. The video claimed that excessive consumerism was being replaced by a superior sharing economy which “prioritises access over ownership”. This is what Razavi now calls <a href="https://medium.com/curious/the-rise-of-subscription-living-21356d69a1dd">subscription living</a>.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bOAIXwUZdU8?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>Despite the video’s critique of “mindless consumerism”, it used a visual style that could have been selling luxury apartments. It all sounded fun and expensive. The video ended with the phrase: “Earth is not a giant shopping centre.” The conference was hosted in a mall.</p>
<p>Some talks got into the gritty minutiae of global living in surprising detail. Natalie Sissons, whose personal brand is <a href="https://suitcaseentrepreneur.com/about/">The Suitcase Entrepreneur</a>, used her presenting slot to share her digital productivity strategies, projecting her yearly schedule on the vast conference screen. She explained how her digital calendar app, <a href="https://calendly.com/">Calendly</a>, automatically translated timezones, flattening national time differences into global, bookable and productive meeting slots and projects. She was also a frisbee champion and loved doing handstands.</p>
<p>Then came Fabian Dittrich’s keynote. He was billed as a travelling tech entrepreneur, walked on stage still dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, and was sincere and intense. He recounted how his school careers adviser told him he needed to “fit in like an adjusted citizen” – but that he “rejected the system and a well-paid job in London [because] it was a workstyle, not a lifestyle”. He linked this dissatisfaction with office life to his rejection of his national identity.</p>
<p>Both Dittrich and Sissons appeared to be living incarnations of the lifestyle extolled by Tim Ferriss in his seminal 2004 self-help book, <a href="https://fourhourworkweek.com/">The 4-Hour Work Week</a>. Their logic pathologised the office and the nation state – both were cast as threats to untethered freedom.</p>
<p>In the closing section of the conference, Dittrich turned his anger directly on the nation state. He clicked to a PowerPoint slide 25-feet wide which parodied the Ascent of Man. His visual depicted human evolution from an ape to a digitally liberated human taking flight, presenting digital nomadism as a future trajectory for humanity.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Speaker on stage in front of presentation" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/482705/original/file-20220905-14-5b6pwo.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/482705/original/file-20220905-14-5b6pwo.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482705/original/file-20220905-14-5b6pwo.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482705/original/file-20220905-14-5b6pwo.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482705/original/file-20220905-14-5b6pwo.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482705/original/file-20220905-14-5b6pwo.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482705/original/file-20220905-14-5b6pwo.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Fabian Dittrich’s keynote speech at the 2015 DNX conference.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Dave Cook</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>His next slide showed two globes: the first covered with national flags headed “What people think I am”; the second without flags titled “What I really am”. Dittrich explained that his personal identity had nothing to do with his nationality. His performance made me think of Diogenes’s proclamation: “I am a citizen of the world.” The audience erupted into applause.</p>
<p>After the main conference, there were after-parties and workshops. I found out that many delegates were new to the nomad scene. Everyone wanted the secret formula of a blissful life combining work and global travel.</p>
<p>When it was over, in my imagination, all the delegates jetted off to their tropical hammocks. I trudged back to the UK winter, my day job, and to my mother’s hospital bed which I had left four days earlier. I found her in the same bed, recovering from cancer surgery which had saved her life, provided by the UK’s National Health Service.</p>
<h2>Being a nomad can be taxing</h2>
<p>It is apt that the prototype virtual state of Plumia is owned by a travel insurance company. Both digital nomads and sceptics of this lifestyle agree that challenges to sustaining a nomadic existence are 90% practical. Visa rules, tax obligations and healthcare are common nomad pain points.</p>
<p>Healthcare is the obvious first hurdle. Nomads need insurance that covers them for things like scooter accidents and patches them up on the road, so they can make it back to a co-working space or their next destination. Historically, most standard travel insurance covers a maximum of 30 days, so for Safety Wing, longer-term healthcare and travel insurance for nomads is a gap in the market.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/482600/original/file-20220903-14-jjp2ia.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/482600/original/file-20220903-14-jjp2ia.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482600/original/file-20220903-14-jjp2ia.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482600/original/file-20220903-14-jjp2ia.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482600/original/file-20220903-14-jjp2ia.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482600/original/file-20220903-14-jjp2ia.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482600/original/file-20220903-14-jjp2ia.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The realities of digital nomadism can feel very different from the stereotypical image.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/bird-view-remote-online-working-digital-1742840084">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Tax planning doesn’t make for sexy blog posts – but it did teach me a lot about the struggles of becoming a digital nomad, and what it really means to be the member of a nation state. I met Ben in a Thai co-working space. He was fresh-faced and idealistic, but also stressed and strapped for cash.</p>
<p>Ben had left the UK as a backpacker, staying in Australia under the working holiday visa programme where he worked on a sheep farm in the outback. Bored with nothing to do in the evenings, he stumbled across a <a href="https://www.digitalnomadsoul.com/start-a-dropshipping-business/">digital nomad blog</a> promising a life of travel, work and freedom. When Ben left the farm to backpack with friends, his mind kept returning to that blog which said “earn money whilst travelling the world”. He told me:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>All my friends wanted to do was get drunk in the next hostel. They knew they’d run out of money and have to go home. I realised I could continue travelling whilst working, instead of going home broke and having to look for a job.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Ben headed to a co-working space in Thailand and taught himself website design. But the Australian government was pursuing him for unpaid taxes because he had overstayed his visa while working. Unfortunately, one tax woe led to another.</p>
<p>Faced with the dilemma of paying the Australian government or risking not being able to visit his girlfriend in Sydney, he used his new design skills to earn some money. He had befriended the owners of a Thai guesthouse and told them he could create a cheap website for them. The owners “were delighted”, but the manager of the Thai co-working space found out and told Ben it was illegal for someone on a tourist visa to work directly with Thai clients. If the co-working space was found to be hosting illegal workers, they could be prosecuted and shut down.</p>
<p>To become successfully “free”, digital nomads must become experts in keeping ahead of state bureaucracies. Most learn the hard way when they run into trouble. Before the pandemic, Thailand seemed like the perfect digital nomad location due to its Instagram-worthy beaches, fast internet and low cost of living. Imagine Ferriss’s 4-Hour Work Week merged with Alex Garland’s The Beach, only with a different ending.</p>
<p>Yet visa rules and worker protections in Thailand are strict, if not always rigorously enforced. Around 2018, the Thai state became acutely aware and suspicious of digital nomads. In answer to the question “can digital nomads work in Thailand without a work permit?”, a <a href="https://www.thaiembassy.com/thailand/thailand-digital-nomad-visa-and-work-permit">Thai legal website</a> stated: “In order to work in the kingdom, a foreigner needs to: be on an appropriate visa, obtain a work permit, and pay taxes.” The website went on to question the very meaning of work:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>What is work? A digital nomad working on his laptop in a co-working space, is that considered work? A businessman sitting in his hotel room preparing for a seminar? When does the Work Permit office consider this to be work? This is a hard question to answer with a straightforward yes or no.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>For Ben and other fledgling digital nomads, tax and workplace protections were the rug-pull that caused their digital nomad dream to topple. Many nomads give up at this stage. For others, however, the digital nomad dream can become a recurring nightmare.</p>
<h2>The roots of digital nomadism</h2>
<p>One key component of digital nomadism is the concept of “<a href="https://www.nomadichustle.com/what-is-geoarbitrage/">geoarbitrage</a>”, which is a fancy term for wielding a western wage in a lower-cost, developing country. Some folks find the idea unethical but for entrepreneurs having to wait tables while bootstrapping a business, it makes sense to live somewhere cheaper than <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Fernando_Valley">the Valley</a>, London or New York.</p>
<p>Geoarbitrage was popularised by Ferriss in his book and to some, the book summarised everything that was right with globalisation: the idea that the entire world should operate as an open, free market. To others, it pointed to a nightmare.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/M3gmC7WmB4Q?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>In the wake of Ferriss’s book and also <a href="https://www.wiley.com/en-gb/Digital+Nomad-p-9780471974994">Digital Nomad</a> by Japanese technologist Tsugio Makimoto – who is widely credited with coining the term – digital nomads gravitated to tropical locations with lower living costs. Thailand and Bali were early hotspots but digital nomads aren’t sentimental. If a better place offers the right combination of welcoming visas and low living costs, or catches the attention for some other reason – as El Salvador did in 2021 by becoming the first country to <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-57398274">classify Bitcoin legal currency</a> – digital nomads are likely to appear, with carry-on luggage.</p>
<p>To survive as a nomad requires skill, tenacity and the privilege of holding a “<a href="https://www.passportindex.org/byRank.php">strong</a>” passport, a point that Razavi has <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/PlumiaCountry/status/1488895849002418184">highlighted on Plumia’s Twitter feed</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>A passport is no longer a physical document but a set of rights and inequalities programmed into a computer. To me, that means this is the moment where this has to change. In a world of remote work, this makes no sense whatsoever.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Tourist visas are often short, so nomads travelling on them need to change location regularly, sometimes as frequently as every two weeks. Some do visa runs to the nearest border (to extend their visas) or leave and apply for longer-term visitor visas. But this means additional travel and disrupts <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40558-020-00172-4">work routines</a>. Established nomads often explain how they have learned from past mistakes. As they become more road savvy, they slow down their travel patterns, refine their tax and visa arrangements, and make sure they are not worrying about breaking local immigration laws.</p>
<p>Juggling work and travel is both a dream and a headache. A high percentage of nomads I’ve met abruptly disappear from the scene, and their social media posts about nomading cease. Yet that doesn’t stop the next generation of dreamers turning up in Bali and Chiang Mai. And no dream, perhaps, was more alluring than the practice of “dropshipping”. It’s also hugely controversial – even in nomad circles.</p>
<h2>The darker side of digital nomadism</h2>
<p>Between 2016 and 2018, “<a href="https://www.shopify.co.uk/blog/what-is-dropshipping">dropshipping</a>” was the most popular get-rich-quick scheme I came across in Chiang Mai. This online business model involves people marketing and selling products they may never have seen, produced in countries they may never go to, to customers they will never meet. The products are often <a href="https://smallbiztrends.com/2022/08/dropshipping-business-ideas.html">niche items</a> such as kitchen gadgets or pet accessories.</p>
<p>Typically, dropshippers promote their products on social media and sell them via Amazon, eBay, or by creating their own online stores using software such as Shopify. Dropshipping is catnip to aspiring digital nomads because it is borderless and offers the promise of “passive income”. As one nomad explained to me, “why wouldn’t you want to earn money while you sleep?”</p>
<p>But many committed digital nomads hate this darker side of digital nomadism. Both Razavi and Pieter Levels, creator of the website <a href="https://nomadlist.com/">nomadlist.com</a>, have declared that dropshipping is “bullshit”. Another British expat described it as “the snake oil that greased the wheels of a thousand start-ups in Chiang Mai”.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/482593/original/file-20220903-13382-9iwbby.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/482593/original/file-20220903-13382-9iwbby.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/482593/original/file-20220903-13382-9iwbby.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=205&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482593/original/file-20220903-13382-9iwbby.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=205&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482593/original/file-20220903-13382-9iwbby.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=205&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482593/original/file-20220903-13382-9iwbby.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=257&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482593/original/file-20220903-13382-9iwbby.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=257&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482593/original/file-20220903-13382-9iwbby.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=257&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">How dropshipping works.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/dropshipping-process-how-dropshipment-work-vector-1548306857">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Young nomads often confided to me that they were perfecting their dropshipping business model. Some showed me spreadsheets displaying more than US$5,000 a month of passive income. But I also learned more about the emotional and economic costs.</p>
<p>At one unofficial dropshipper meet-up in Chiang Mai in 2018, I was told that if you wanted to be really successful, you had to become expert at manipulating big e-commerce platforms such as Amazon and eBay. Some talked about trying to evade local health and safety laws when selling niche products like kitchen gadgets while tapping into a pool of global cheap labour.</p>
<p>Competing with other sellers who troll you with bad reviews was a dark art, I discovered. Two men confided that their Amazon seller accounts had been suspended after being accused of posting suspicious reviews. Several admitted they had got friends to review-bomb their competitors.</p>
<p>These dropshippers feared Amazon’s algorithms more than border and customs inspections. Manipulating its review system was particularly tricky because, according to Larry, an ex-marine who manufactured his own “top secret” product in China (dropshippers rarely share what their niche products are), “Amazon processes and algorithms seem to know everything.” </p>
<p>“They know if your cousin gives your product a five-star review,” Ted added. Everyone nodded vigorously.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/482602/original/file-20220903-9501-9nmm55.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/482602/original/file-20220903-9501-9nmm55.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482602/original/file-20220903-9501-9nmm55.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482602/original/file-20220903-9501-9nmm55.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482602/original/file-20220903-9501-9nmm55.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482602/original/file-20220903-9501-9nmm55.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482602/original/file-20220903-9501-9nmm55.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Chiang Mai was a dropshipping hub in the late 2010s.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/digital-nomads-freelance-working-on-job-655389331">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Every dropshipper selling on Amazon.com (its US domain) complained about <a href="https://oehha.ca.gov/proposition-65/proposition-65-list">Proposition 65</a>, a list of toxic chemicals regulated in California that are widely used in Chinese plastic manufacturing. Some had entire product categories (their whole “seller listing”) deleted in California. These battles with local laws and tech giants show how the lines between nation states and corporations can become blurry for digital nomads. Or as Ted put it: “Fuck the west coast. You’re stuck between health and safety and the tech giants.”</p>
<p>Amazon is very clear about <a href="https://sellercentral.amazon.co.uk/help/hub/reference/external/G201808410?locale=en-GB">its dropshipping policy</a>: “We do not allow a third party to fulfil orders from other retailers on a seller’s behalf, unless the Amazon seller of record is clearly identified on the packaging,” a spokesperson told me. “Our policies also prohibit reviews abuse.”</p>
<p>Pete, a dropshipping veteran using multiple platforms, told the Chiang Mai meet-up that he had more than US$10,000 worth of stock “at sea or in transit” and had built his own e-commerce store. He also hinted that he would turn a blind eye to the possibility of child labour. “I’m getting more involved with the manufacturing,” he half-whispered to the room. “I sent an agent to check how things were going, and I heard that kids were packing the orders.” Another dropshipper chipped in: “Well, it is China … what can you do?” Half the room shrugged.</p>
<p>Some dropshippers bragged to me about hacking into the global pool of cheap, educated virtual assistants (VAs) – often from the <a href="https://www.outsourceaccelerator.com/articles/5-reasons-why-you-should-hire-a-filipino-virtual-assistant/">Philippines</a> where English is widely spoken. Zena, who sold home decor to a “design-savvy clientele back in the US”, explained how “Instagram was her killer sales funnel”, but that she soon realised “I was killing myself between the order fulfilments and socials [social media posts]”. </p>
<p>So Zena found a VA living on the outskirts of Manila and outsourced everything to her. “[It took] a month to get her fully up to speed – she has an MBA, her English is great. The time investment was totally worth it; I get everything done better than I could do it myself.”</p>
<p>Zena would not divulge how much she paid her VA, in case someone tried to poach her. Two male dropshippers chipped in. “They all have MBAs, bro,” one laughed. The other added, “Some accept less than [US]$500 a month. I’ve heard as low as $250, but that’s too low even for me.”</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/as-countries-ranging-from-indonesia-to-mexico-aim-to-attract-digital-nomads-locals-say-not-so-fast-189283">As countries ranging from Indonesia to Mexico aim to attract digital nomads, locals say 'not so fast'</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Levels says dropshipping is a “terribly dark story”, pointing out that aspiring dropshippers can be victims too. He claimed on <a href="https://twitter.com/levelsio/status/830620053305335808">Twitter</a>: “What’s dire about dropshipping is that these people from poor areas in the US pay thousands of dollars for courses that don’t deliver.” </p>
<p>Fresh-faced nomads often told me they were excited to start online courses, but others told me the content didn’t teach them much. While it’s debatable whether these courses were <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/dropship/comments/d093wc/is_all_dropshipping_a_scam/">deliberate scams</a>, many young nomads were disappointed to discover that dropshipping was a very difficult way to earn money.</p>
<p>For many, it became a brief fever dream before they moved on to more ethical or sustainable ways of earning while they travelled. The dropshipping scene in Chiang Mai started to dwindle before the pandemic hit. At the same time, as one nomad told me in 2020, “cryptocurrency has stolen the limelight.”</p>
<h2>‘A lonely, miserable existence’</h2>
<p>The digital nomad on the beach might have become a cliche, but what’s not to like about living and working in paradise? Quite a lot according to Andrew Keen, author of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/feb/01/internet-is-not-the-answer-review-andrew-keen">The Internet Is Not The Answer</a>. Keen is critical and dismissive of the digital nomad lifestyle – and when Razavi interviewed him for a Plumia livestream event, the conversation, in Razavi’s words, “got salty”.</p>
<p>When Razavi asked Keen about digital nomads and his “views on global mobility”, Keen replied: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I’m not in favour of tearing up your passport and being ‘anywhere’ … I’m quite critical of this new precariat, the new workforce existing on so-called sharing platforms like Uber and Lyft to make a living … I’m not sure most people want to be nomads. I think it’s a rather ugly, miserable, lonely existence. The problem is that technology is pushing us in that way.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Behind the inspirational blogs and stock images of hammocks, digital nomadism divides options, often angrily. Razavi believes mobility is a human right, while Keen believes politics needs places. This plays out in national politics, too. At the 2016 Conservative Party conference in the UK, the new prime minister, Theresa May, famously declared: “If you are a citizen of the world, you are a citizen of nowhere.” It was a battlecry inviting people to take sides.</p>
<p>In March 2020, COVID and its associated global lockdowns briefly seemed to challenge the idea of freely existing “beyond nations”. Yet now that remote working has been normalised, the digital nomad dream has been supercharged – and every week, a <a href="https://theconversation.com/as-countries-ranging-from-indonesia-to-mexico-aim-to-attract-digital-nomads-locals-say-not-so-fast-189283">new country or city</a> seems to launch a remote work or digital nomad visa scheme.</p>
<p>According to Razavi, Plumia “are talking to a number of countries but that’s confidential … We are speaking to emerging economies.” She does name the government of Montenegro, however: “That one’s quite public because it’s on <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/PlumiaCountry/status/1536282012570501120">social media</a>. I see there being opportunity there.”</p>
<p>Estonia was the first country to pioneer a digital nomad visa. Having only gained independence in 1991, it has positioned itself as a digital society where 99% of government services can be accessed online. According to Estonian entrepreneur Karoli Hindricks, founder of <a href="https://jobbatical.com/about">Jobbatical</a>, a job-finding service for remote workers: “Where you were born is like a statistical error.”</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1488895276010016770"}"></div></p>
<p>The idea of creating a new nation by hacking and reassembling old ideas is nothing new, of course. The <a href="http://www.sealandgov.org/">Principality of Sealand</a>, located on a concrete platform in the North Sea, tried to <a href="https://sealandgov.org/50-years-of-independence/">claim sovereignty in 1967</a> with mixed success. Some digital nomads obsessively research maritime law, others go on digital nomads cruises. One nomad confided to me that they wanted to buy an island in Brazil.</p>
<p>And while the idea of an internet country without any territory, or future plans to claim any, is a radical concept for most, history teaches us that ideas, given the right tailwinds, can morph into reality.</p>
<p>In 1996, for example, John Perry Barlow published <a href="https://www.eff.org/cyberspace-independence">A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace</a>, in which he wrote the following missive to “outdated” governments: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Governments of the Industrial World, you weary giants of flesh and steel, I come from Cyberspace, the new home of Mind. On behalf of the future, I ask you of the past to leave us alone. You are not welcome among us. You have no sovereignty where we gather.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Within four years the dotcom bubble grew exponentially and then burst – proving both its evangelists and critics right.</p>
<h2>A new religion?</h2>
<p>I discussed where digital nomadism may be going with the documentary film director Lena Leonhardt, who like me has spent years chronicling the digital nomad lifestyle. Her film <a href="https://vimeo.com/ondemand/roamersfollowyourlikes">Roamers - Follow Your Likes</a> tells four astonishing stories of nomads combining travel, work and chronicling their adventures on social media.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7b33QB2vuDw?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>The film’s main character is Nuseir Yassin – or <a href="https://nasdaily.com/#history">Nas Daily</a> as he is known to his followers, because he made a one-minute film everyday for 1,000 days while travelling. At the start of the movie he is seen on a stage, urging his audience not to waste their lives: “I worked as a software engineer for PayPal but I hated my job and I hated my life.”</p>
<p>Yassin wears a T-shirt with an infographic showing his life as 33% used-up. “I had this revelation,” he explains. “I am one-third dead with my life.” The rest of the film documents how he and other nomads turned their ordinary lives into something “fricking fantastic”.</p>
<p>Leonhardt thinks the digital nomad lifestyle may have spiritual or religious qualities: “Many people feel ‘I only have this life and a very short time, so I have to make sure this life is worth something’.”</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Man holding a mobile phone outdoors" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/482594/original/file-20220903-8710-9cvsrx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/482594/original/file-20220903-8710-9cvsrx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=250&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482594/original/file-20220903-8710-9cvsrx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=250&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482594/original/file-20220903-8710-9cvsrx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=250&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482594/original/file-20220903-8710-9cvsrx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=314&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482594/original/file-20220903-8710-9cvsrx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=314&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482594/original/file-20220903-8710-9cvsrx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=314&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Nuseir Yassin, the main character in the film Roamers.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Photograph: Lena Leonhardt, The Royal Film Company</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Yet there’s no doubt the digital nomad lifestyle is much harder if you don’t travel with a “strong” passport that allows visa-free travel. If you are an African woman, for example, nomadic travel can be difficult and hostile.</p>
<p>Agnes Nyamwange, who also features in the film, has a Kenyan passport. Before the pandemic, she was based in the US and “nomaded” in South America from there. Nyamwange explained that holding a Kenyan passport made visas more expensive, as visa-free travel is much less available to holders of many African passports. </p>
<p>Since the pandemic, travelling to the US or Europe has become almost impossible for her. “I wanted to go to Europe when they opened up, but the embassies here said it was closed for Africans. Recently I just had the US Embassy telling me they don’t have any appointments available until 2024.”</p>
<p>In the film, Nyamwange memorably proclaims: “We are a generation of people who believe in superheroes.” She talks about the healing power of travel. But when I caught up with her earlier this year, she revealed the underbelly of nomadism to me: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>It’s a cultish type thing. It’s not sustainable. It’s good to travel from place to place to place to place, but you kind of have to have a sustainable lifestyle for it to be healthy … 15% of it was real, the other 85% is complete junk.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Nyamwange added that it is all about “selling the dream”:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Once you get into the digital nomad lifestyle, you start understanding Instagram, Snapchat and all these social media systems very well. But most people who portray and tell those stories don’t really live the lives that they’re selling.</p>
</blockquote>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Woman in the back seat of a taxi" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/482595/original/file-20220903-20-8en214.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/482595/original/file-20220903-20-8en214.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=250&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482595/original/file-20220903-20-8en214.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=250&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482595/original/file-20220903-20-8en214.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=250&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482595/original/file-20220903-20-8en214.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=314&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482595/original/file-20220903-20-8en214.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=314&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482595/original/file-20220903-20-8en214.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=314&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Agnes Nyamwange: ‘85% of this lifestyle is complete junk.’</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Photograph: Lena Leonhardt, The Royal Film Company</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Despite all the barriers, Nyamwange is still drawn to what she sees as the therapeutic aspects of work and travel. For now though, she travels locally in Africa, because travelling further “is such a headache”.</p>
<p>Digital nomadism may offer a hard road, but it is a spiritual path many want to take. And believers like Razavi, Srinivasan and legions of other digital nomads will continue to seek alternatives to poor-value, inefficient nation states in their quest for a geographically untethered version of freedom.</p>
<p>Yet for the moment at least, this type of freedom is a privilege which largely depends on your place of birth, long-term place of residence, and economic circumstances. Or put another way, your given nationality.</p>
<p><em>*Research participant names have been changed to protect their anonymity.</em></p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/313478/original/file-20200204-41481-1n8vco4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/313478/original/file-20200204-41481-1n8vco4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=112&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313478/original/file-20200204-41481-1n8vco4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=112&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313478/original/file-20200204-41481-1n8vco4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=112&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313478/original/file-20200204-41481-1n8vco4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=140&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313478/original/file-20200204-41481-1n8vco4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=140&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313478/original/file-20200204-41481-1n8vco4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=140&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
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<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/social-media-and-society-125586" target="_blank"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479539/original/file-20220817-20-g5jxhm.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=144&fit=crop&dpr=1" width="100%"></a></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/189835/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dave Cook does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>As an anthropologist, I have chronicled the digital nomad lifestyle for the past seven years. The reality is far less glamorous than you might imagineDave Cook, PhD Candidate in Anthropology, UCLLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1892832022-09-02T12:18:04Z2022-09-02T12:18:04ZAs countries ranging from Indonesia to Mexico aim to attract digital nomads, locals say ‘not so fast’<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/481872/original/file-20220830-31761-o93l5h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=327%2C86%2C5423%2C3742&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A tourist has makeup done ahead of Day of the Dead on Oct. 30, 2021, in Mexico City.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/tourist-is-having-makeup-done-as-a-skull-in-a-costume-news-photo/1350360186?adppopup=true">Alfredo Martinez/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Should your community welcome <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/digital%20nomad">digital nomads</a> – individuals who work remotely, allowing them freedom to bounce from country to country?</p>
<p><a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/digital-nomads-9780190931780?cc=us&lang=en&">Our research</a> has found that workers are eager to embrace the flexibility of not being tied to an office. And after experiencing economic losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, cities and countries are concocting ways to entice visitors.</p>
<p>One idea involves stretching the meaning of tourism to include remote workers.</p>
<p>Today, a growing number of countries offer so-called “<a href="https://nomadgirl.co/countries-with-digital-nomad-visas/">digital nomad visas</a>.” These visas allow longer stays for remote workers and provide clarity about allowable work activities. For example, officials in Bali, Indonesia, are looking to formalize a process for remote workers to procure visas – “<a href="https://coconuts.co/bali/features/the-faster-the-better-bali-tourism-agency-head-tjokorda-bagus-pemayun-talks-digital-nomad-visa-plans-and-what-it-means-for-the-island/">the faster, the better</a>,” as the head of the island’s tourism agency put it.</p>
<p>Yet pushback from locals in cities ranging <a href="https://time.com/6072062/barcelona-tourism-residents-covid/">from Barcelona</a> to <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/07/28/mexico-city-residents-angered-by-influx-of-americans-speaking-english-gentrifying-area-report/">Mexico City</a> has made it clear that there are costs and benefits to an influx of remote workers. </p>
<p>As we explain in our new book, “Digital Nomads: In Search of Freedom, Community, and Meaningful Work in the New Economy,” the trend of “work tourism” <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/digital-nomads-9780190931780?cc=us&lang=en&">comes with a host of drawbacks</a>.</p>
<h2>Wearing out their welcome</h2>
<p>For as long as there’s been tourism, locals have griped about the outsiders who come and go. These travelers are usually a welcome boost to the economy – <a href="https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/overtourism">up to a point</a>. They can also wear out their welcome. </p>
<p>Perhaps the classic example is <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-06-25/venice-reinventing-itself-as-sustainable-tourism-capital">Venice</a>, where high numbers of tourists stress the canal-filled city’s fragile infrastructure.</p>
<p>In the U.S., New Jersey shore residents have long used the term “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoobie">shoobies</a>” to denigrate the annual throng of short-term summer tourists. In our research on digital nomads in Bali, locals referred to digital nomads and other tourists as “bules” – a word that roughly translates as “foreigners.”</p>
<p>Generally the terms are used to express minor annoyance over crowds and increased traffic. But conventional tourists come and go – their stays usually range from a couple of nights to a couple of weeks. Remote workers stay anywhere from weeks to months – or longer. They spend more time using places and resources traditionally dedicated to the local residents. This raises the chances that outsiders become a grating presence. </p>
<p>Excessive numbers of visitors can also raise sustainability concerns, as waves of tourists tax the environment and infrastructure of many destinations. Many of Bali’s beautiful rice fields and surrounding lush forests, for example, are being converted into hotels and villas to serve tourism.</p>
<h2>Digital nomads look to stretch their dollars</h2>
<p>Whether they’re lazing around or plugging away on their laptops, privileged tourists ultimately change the economics and demographics of an area. </p>
<p>Their buying power increases costs and displaces residents, while traditional businesses make way for ones that cater to their tastes. <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-food-became-the-perfect-beachhead-for-gentrification-167761">Where once there was a neighborhood food stand</a>, now there’s an upscale cafe. </p>
<p>This dynamic is only exacerbated by long-term tourists. Services like VRBO and Airbnb make it easy for digital nomads to rent apartments for weeks or months at a time, and <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/business-45083954">people around the world are increasingly alarmed</a> at how quickly such rentals can change the affordability and character of a place.</p>
<p>Living a vacation lifestyle on a long-term basis implies a need to choose lower-cost destinations. This means that remote workers may particularly contribute to gentrification as they seek out places where their dollars go furthest.</p>
<p>In <a href="https://travelnoire.com/digital-nomads-see-why-mexicans-are-fed-up-with-them">Mexico City</a>, residents fear displacement by remote workers able to pay higher rents. In response to calls to choose Mexico City as a remote working destination, one local succinctly expressed opposition: “<a href="https://www.vox.com/the-goods/22999722/mexico-city-pandemic-remote-work-gentrification">Please don’t</a>.”</p>
<p>And in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/mar/13/new-orleans-airbnb-treme-short-term-rentals">New Orleans</a>, almost half of all properties in the historic <a href="https://nola.curbed.com/2018/5/16/17356630/treme-new-orleans-neighborhood-history-pictures">Tremé district</a> – one of the oldest Black neighborhoods in the U.S. – have been converted to short-term rentals, displacing longtime residents. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Locals wearing purple march through the streets playing instruments." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/481877/original/file-20220830-35381-cosh9f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/481877/original/file-20220830-35381-cosh9f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481877/original/file-20220830-35381-cosh9f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481877/original/file-20220830-35381-cosh9f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481877/original/file-20220830-35381-cosh9f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481877/original/file-20220830-35381-cosh9f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481877/original/file-20220830-35381-cosh9f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">In Tremé, New Orleans, nearly half of all dwellings have become short-term rental properties.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/crowd-estimated-at-between-1500-and-2000-people-celebrates-news-photo/525178984?adppopup=true">Leon Morris/Redferns via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Culture becomes commodified</h2>
<p><a href="https://suitcasemag.com/articles/neocolonial-tourism">Neocolonialism</a> in tourism refers to the way processes such as overtourism and gentrification create a power imbalance that favors newcomers and erodes local ways of life. </p>
<p>“There’s a distinction between people who want to learn about the place they are in and those who just like it because it’s cheap,” one digital nomad living in Mexico City <a href="https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2022-07-27/americans-are-flooding-mexico-city-some-mexicans-want-them-to-go-home">recently told the Los Angeles Times</a>. “I’ve met a number of people who don’t really care that they’re in Mexico, they just care that it’s cheap.”</p>
<p>Bali, where <a href="https://www.aseantoday.com/2020/10/balis-economy-struggles-to-survive-without-tourists/">as much as 80%</a> of the island’s economy is estimated to be affected by tourism, offers a stark example. </p>
<p>People come to Bali to be immersed in the culture’s spiritual rituals, art, nature and dance. But there’s also resentment over yoga lovers, resortgoers and digital nomads “taking over” the island. And some locals come to see the tourism in and around temples and rituals as the transformation of something cherished – the nuanced and spiritual aspects of their culture – into experiences to be bought and sold. </p>
<p>For instance, Balinese dance performances are huge tourist draws and are even featured in global promotions for tourism on the island. Yet these performances also have cultural and spiritual meaning, and the impact of tourism on these aspects of dance is <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/37628994_Authenticity_and_commodification_of_Balinese_dance_performances">debated even among performers</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="People take photographs of people marching in a parade." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/481874/original/file-20220830-22-4l4ult.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/481874/original/file-20220830-22-4l4ult.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481874/original/file-20220830-22-4l4ult.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481874/original/file-20220830-22-4l4ult.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481874/original/file-20220830-22-4l4ult.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481874/original/file-20220830-22-4l4ult.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481874/original/file-20220830-22-4l4ult.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Tourists take pictures of Balinese artists during a parade celebrating the 77th anniversary of Indonesia Independence Day in Bali in August 2022.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/foreign-tourists-take-pictures-of-balinese-artists-during-news-photo/1242552941?adppopup=true">Johannes P. Christo/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>So there is inevitably friction, which can be seen in the high levels of <a href="https://coconuts.co/bali/features/living-in-a-petty-crimes-paradise-balis-unreported-thefts-and-muggings/">petty crime</a> against foreigners. Neocolonialism can also pit people from the same country or culture against one another. For example, <a href="https://www.travelmole.com/news/bali-taxi-wars-flare-again/">conflicts arise</a> between local Balinese taxi cooperatives and taxi services that employ drivers from other parts of Indonesia. </p>
<p>Although remote employees still make up a small portion of the overall tourist population, their work-related needs and longer stays mean they’re more likely to use services and places frequented by locals.</p>
<p>Whether this leads digital nomads to be welcomed or scorned likely depends on both government policies and tourists’ behavior. </p>
<p>Will governments take measures such as protecting locals from mass evictions, or will landlords’ desire for higher rents prevail? Will guests live lightly and blend in, trying to learn the local language and culture? Or will they simply focus on working hard and playing harder? </p>
<p>As remote work reaches an unprecedented scale, the answers to such questions may determine whether “<a href="https://coconuts.co/bali/features/the-faster-the-better-bali-tourism-agency-head-tjokorda-bagus-pemayun-talks-digital-nomad-visa-plans-and-what-it-means-for-the-island/">the faster, the better</a>” attitude toward digital nomad visas and other incentives continues.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/189283/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Locals usually see tourists as a way to boost the economy. But at a certain point, resentment starts to build.Rachael A. Woldoff, Professor of Sociology, West Virginia UniversityRobert Litchfield, Associate Professor of Business, Washington & Jefferson CollegeLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1586922021-05-19T12:27:16Z2021-05-19T12:27:16ZEmployees are feeling burned over broken work-from-home promises and corporate culture ‘BS’ as employers try to bring them back to the office<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401449/original/file-20210518-17-1d2m338.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=485%2C323%2C5505%2C3664&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Some workers aren’t that excited about a return to the office.
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/high-angle-view-of-businessman-using-laptop-while-royalty-free-image/1248148364?adppopup=true">Antonio Sanchez Albacete/EyeEm via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>As <a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#datatracker-home">vaccinations</a> and <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html">relaxed health guidelines</a> make returning to the office a reality for more companies, there seems to be a disconnect between managers and their workers over remote work.</p>
<p>A good example of this is a recent op-ed written by the CEO of a Washington, D.C., magazine that suggested workers <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/05/06/ceo-i-want-my-employees-understand-risks-not-returning-work-office/">could lose benefits</a> like health care if they insist on continuing to work remotely as the COVID-19 pandemic recedes. The <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/05/07/washingtonian-staffers-work-stoppage-ceo-op-ed/">staff reacted by refusing to publish</a> for a day. </p>
<p>While the CEO <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/washingtonian-ceo-catherine-merrill-sorry-for-op-ed-threatening-jobs-if-they-dont-return-to-office">later apologized</a>, she isn’t alone in appearing to bungle the transition back to the office after over a year in which tens of millions of employees were forced to work from home. A recent survey of full-time corporate or government employees found that two-thirds say their employers either <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/what-employees-are-saying-about-the-future-of-remote-work#">have not communicated a post-pandemic office strategy</a> or have only vaguely done so. </p>
<p>As <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=0NMqlxAAAAAJ&hl=en">workforce</a> <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=eO0QxFoAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">scholars</a>, <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=tOZet8kAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">we</a> are interested in teasing out how workers are dealing with this situation. Our recent research found that this failure to communicate clearly is hurting morale, culture and retention. </p>
<h2>Workers relocating</h2>
<p>We first began investigating workers’ pandemic experiences in July 2020 as <a href="https://www.nashp.org/2020-state-reopening-chart/">shelter-in-place orders</a> shuttered offices and remote work was widespread. At the time, we wanted to know how workers were using their newfound freedom to potentially work virtually from anywhere. </p>
<p>We analyzed a dataset that a business and technology newsletter attained from surveying its 585,000 active readers. It asked them whether they planned to relocate during the next six months and to share their story about why and where from and to. </p>
<p>After a review, we had just under 3,000 responses, including 1,361 people who were planning to relocate or had recently done so. We systematically coded these responses to understand their motives and, based on distances moved, the degree of ongoing remote-work policy they would likely need. </p>
<p>We found that a segment of these employees would require a full remote-work arrangement based on the distance moved from their office, and another portion would face a longer commute. Woven throughout this was the explicit or implicit expectation of some degree of ongoing remote work among many of the workers who moved during the pandemic. </p>
<p>In other words, many of these workers were moving on the assumption – or promise – that they’d be able to keep working remotely at least some of the time after the pandemic ended. Or they seemed willing to quit if their employer didn’t oblige.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cPl2d7N4NIE?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">One of authors explains the research.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We wanted to see how these expectations were being met as the pandemic started to wind down in March 2021. So we searched online communities in Reddit to see what workers were saying. One forum proved particularly useful. A member asked, “Has your employer made remote work permanent yet or is it still in the air?” and went on to share his own experience. This post generated 101 responses with a good amount of detail on what their respective individual companies were doing. </p>
<p>While this qualitative data is only a small sample that is not necessarily representative of the U.S. population at large, these posts allowed us to delve into a richer understanding of how workers feel, which a simple stat can’t provide. </p>
<p>We found a disconnect between workers and management that starts with but goes beyond the issue of the remote-work policy itself. Broadly speaking, we found three recurring themes in these anonymous posts. </p>
<h2>1. Broken remote-work promises</h2>
<p>Others have also found that people are taking advantage of pandemic-related remote work to relocate to a city at a distance large enough that it would require partial or full-time remote work after people return to the office.</p>
<p>A recent survey by consulting firm PwC found that <a href="https://www.pwc.com/us/en/services/consulting/workforce-of-the-future/library/workforce-pulse-survey.html">almost a quarter of workers</a> were considering or planning to move more than 50 miles from one of their employer’s main offices. The survey also found 12% have already made such a move during the pandemic without getting a new job. </p>
<p>Our early findings suggested some workers would quit their current job rather than give up their new location if required by their employer, and we saw this actually start to occur in March.</p>
<p>One worker planned a move from Phoenix to Tulsa with her fiancé to get a bigger place with cheaper rent after her company went remote. She later had to leave her job for the move, even though “they told me they would allow me to work from home, then said never mind about it.”</p>
<p>Another worker indicated the promise to work remotely was only implicit, but he still had his hopes up when leaders “gassed us up for months saying we’d likely be able to keep working from home and come in occasionally” and then changed their minds and demanded employees return to the office once vaccinated.</p>
<h2>2. Confused remote-work policies</h2>
<p>Another constant refrain we read in the worker comments was disappointment in their company’s remote-work policy – or lack thereof. </p>
<p>Whether workers said they were staying remote for now, returning to the office or still unsure, we found that nearly a quarter of the people in our sample said their leaders were not giving them meaningful explanations of what was driving the policy. Even worse, the explanations sometimes felt confusing or insulting. </p>
<p>One worker complained that the manager “wanted butts in seats because we couldn’t be trusted to [work from home] even though we’d been doing it since last March,” adding: “I’m giving my notice on Monday.” </p>
<p>Another, whose company issued a two-week timeline for all to return to the office, griped: “Our leadership felt people weren’t as productive at home. While as a company we’ve hit most of our goals for the year. … Makes no sense.”</p>
<p>After a long period of office shutterings, it stands to reason workers would need time to readjust to office life, a point expressed in <a href="https://news.prudential.com/press_file.cfm?content_id=125026">recent survey results</a>. Employers that quickly flip the switch in calling workers back and do so with poor clarifying rationale risk appearing tone-deaf. </p>
<p>It suggests a lack of trust in productivity at a time when <a href="https://news.prudential.com/press_file.cfm?content_id=125026">many workers report putting in more effort than ever</a> and being <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/work-trend-index/hybrid-work">strained by the increased digital intensity of their job</a> – that is, the growing number of online meetings and chats.</p>
<p>And even when companies said they wouldn’t require a return to the office, workers still faulted them for their motives, which many employees described as financially motivated. </p>
<p>“We are going hybrid,” one worker wrote. “I personally don’t think the company is doing it for us. … I think they realized how efficient and how much money they are saving.”</p>
<p>Only a small minority of workers in our sample said their company asked for input on what employees actually want from a future remote work policy. Given that leaders are rightly concerned about <a href="https://www.pwc.com/us/en/library/chro.html">company culture</a>, we believe they are missing a key opportunity to engage with workers on the issue and show their policy rationales aren’t only about dollars and cents. </p>
<h2>3. Corporate culture ‘BS’</h2>
<p>Management gurus such as <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/4165974?seq=1">Peter Drucker</a> and other scholars have found that corporate culture is very important to binding together workers in an organization, especially in <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.5465/amj.2006.21794663">times of stress</a>. </p>
<p>A company’s culture <a href="http://dspace.vnbrims.org:13000/jspui/bitstream/123456789/2373/1/ORGANIZATIONAL%20CULTURE%20Organizational%20Culture%20and%20Leadership%2C%203rd%20Edition.pdf">is essentially its values and beliefs</a> shared among its members. That’s harder to foster when everyone is working remotely. </p>
<p>That’s likely why corporate human resource executives rank <a href="https://www.pwc.com/us/en/library/chro.html">maintaining organizational culture as their top workforce priority for 2021</a>. </p>
<p>But many of the forum posts we reviewed suggested that employer efforts to do that during the pandemic by orchestrating team outings and other get-togethers were actually pushing workers away, and that this type of “culture building” was not welcome.</p>
<p>[<em>Like what you’ve read? Want more?</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/the-daily-3?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=likethis">Sign up for The Conversation’s daily newsletter</a>.]</p>
<p>One worker’s company “had everyone come into the office for an outdoor luncheon a week ago,” according to a post, adding: “Idiots.” </p>
<p>Surveys have found that <a href="https://news.prudential.com/press_file.cfm?content_id=125026">what workers want most from management</a>, on the issue of corporate culture, are more remote-work resources, updated policies on flexibility and more communication from leadership.</p>
<p>As another worker put it, “I can tell you, most people really don’t give 2 flips about ‘company culture’ and think it’s BS.”</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/158692/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A divide is growing between workers and management over the return to the office and other issues.Kimberly Merriman, Professor of Management, Manning School of Business, UMass LowellDavid Greenway, Doctoral Candidate in Leadership/Organization Studies, UMass LowellTamara Montag-Smit, Assistant Professor of Business, UMass LowellLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1515662021-01-27T18:53:30Z2021-01-27T18:53:30ZCOVID is keeping us in our homes, but what makes working there a success or failure?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377460/original/file-20210106-23-1pqk2xs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=2445%2C0%2C5665%2C3688&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/online-video-conference-learning-call-work-1769705015">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The industrial revolution transformed cities, resulting in places of residence and work becoming more distant than ever before. This spatial segregation is still largely embedded in the design of our cities today.</p>
<p>But the COVID-19 pandemic might have brought our cities to a similarly dramatic turning point. Working from home has received a far-reaching fillip. <a href="https://www.unsworks.unsw.edu.au/permalink/f/5gm2j3/unsworks_62868">Our pre-COVID survey</a> of 277 remote-working employee and self-employed Australians shows most had a separate workspace for telework and generally felt satisfied with their home-work environment.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/if-more-of-us-work-from-home-after-coronavirus-well-need-to-rethink-city-planning-136261">If more of us work from home after coronavirus we'll need to rethink city planning</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>But levels of satisfaction among workers in home-based settings vary. We identified some key factors to explain these differences. </p>
<p>Teleworkers’ work motivation increased with:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>having a higher income</p></li>
<li><p>being a single parent with children</p></li>
<li><p>living in an apartment</p></li>
<li><p>satisfaction with workspace size</p></li>
<li><p>quality of home office equipment</p></li>
<li><p>the mobility of owning a private vehicle. </p></li>
</ul>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377463/original/file-20210106-13-l8j5pp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="man working in home office" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377463/original/file-20210106-13-l8j5pp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377463/original/file-20210106-13-l8j5pp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377463/original/file-20210106-13-l8j5pp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377463/original/file-20210106-13-l8j5pp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377463/original/file-20210106-13-l8j5pp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377463/original/file-20210106-13-l8j5pp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377463/original/file-20210106-13-l8j5pp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The quality of the home office space is an important factor in satisfaction with working from home.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/smiling-handsome-freelancer-working-remotely-home-1566492103">Jelena Zelen/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>For Australian sole parents, who are more likely to be women than men, telework at home can be an efficient and smart way of working. While having more time at home for caring responsibilities, they can work and earn money for household expenses. </p>
<p>Living and working in apartments can provide more opportunities for social interaction. It can also enable more efficient use of energy, lowering costs. Apartments and units are more likely to be located in higher-density urban areas, which offer better access to office and business services and other amenities.</p>
<p>At the same time, there were factors that decreased teleworkers’ motivation, including:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>being in full-time employment</p></li>
<li><p>complicated corporate protocols</p></li>
<li><p>shorter time living in the current residence</p></li>
<li><p>feelings of isolation and distraction</p></li>
<li><p>having convenient access to public transport.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Access to public transport might seem counterintuitive but while enabling work-related journeys it also promotes more engagement outside the home, distractions to some extent, and so fewer feelings of isolation. Work-life balance at this micro-scale also has to be negotiated individually.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/covid-impacts-demand-a-change-of-plan-funding-a-shift-from-commuting-to-living-locally-144802">COVID impacts demand a change of plan: funding a shift from commuting to living locally</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Home workplace qualities neglected</h2>
<p>The pandemic has given new impetus to the critical rethinking of dispersed urbanisation that dates back to the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/mar/03/1970s-oil-price-shock">sharp rise in energy prices</a> in the early 1970s. The idea of working from home re-emerged at the dawn of the telecommunications revolution early in the 1980s. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/fancy-an-e-change-how-people-are-escaping-city-congestion-and-living-costs-by-working-remotely-123165">Fancy an e-change? How people are escaping city congestion and living costs by working remotely</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Our latest collective experience of working from home has brought into sharp relief both the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/apr/12/working-from-home-history-coronavirus-uk-lockdown">pitfalls and the positives</a>. </p>
<p>The academic literature on telework from fields such as organisational psychology focuses on maximising economic and logistical efficiency. Many studies ignore the <a href="https://apo.org.au/sites/default/files/resource-files/2013-11/apo-nid59864.pdf">positive and negative effects</a> being in the home has on the worker. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-might-covid-19-change-what-australians-want-from-their-homes-145626">How might COVID-19 change what Australians want from their homes?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>How to improve support for telework</h2>
<p>To date, organisational and managerial policies have been contradictory. There are public and private <a href="https://telecommunities.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/atac_report1.pdf">organisational guidelines</a> and supportive <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/individuals/income-and-deductions/deductions-you-can-claim/home-office-expenses/">government tax policies</a> to encourage teleworking. These cover matters such as ergonomics and utilities (internet, electricity and technology). </p>
<p>But these policies do not practically or adequately support teleworkers’ access to appropriate conditions. Teleworkers can still be left alone with a host of problems and personal challenges. </p>
<p>Many of these issues are rooted in place-related factors. For example, although Australian tax-deduction policies cover internet, electricity and technology costs, they do not cover the capital costs of home renovations made to provide a home office or telework space. Yet these modifications are of great importance for successfully working from home.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-could-spark-a-revolution-in-working-from-home-are-we-ready-133070">Coronavirus could spark a revolution in working from home. Are we ready?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The <a href="https://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/policy-responses/productivity-gains-from-teleworking-in-the-post-covid-19-era-a5d52e99/">OECD</a> has recognised the risk of policies over-promoting teleworking for economic gains. The negative consequences, such as increased social isolation, distraction and work-family conflict, mainly affect the most vulnerable social groups. They include sole parents, people with disabilities and older people. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="woman trying to concentrate on work while being distracted by two children" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377464/original/file-20210106-19-lwp96b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377464/original/file-20210106-19-lwp96b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377464/original/file-20210106-19-lwp96b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377464/original/file-20210106-19-lwp96b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377464/original/file-20210106-19-lwp96b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377464/original/file-20210106-19-lwp96b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377464/original/file-20210106-19-lwp96b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The distractions of family life can be stressful for people working from home.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/mother-children-works-home-successful-office-1690910311">Igor Link/Shuttterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Based on our research, the government should:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>encourage formal agreements for working from home</p></li>
<li><p>support modification of homes for telework for vulnerable social groups</p></li>
<li><p>develop opportunities in <a href="https://theconversation.com/regional-australias-time-has-come-planning-for-growth-is-now-vital-149170">small regional cities</a></p></li>
<li><p>encourage more <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-coronavirus-must-not-stop-australia-creating-denser-cities-137487">compact cities</a></p></li>
<li><p>develop public shared work offices and spaces at the local level.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>These policy suggestions are consistent with many recent Australian urban development trends.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-covid-all-but-killed-the-australian-cbd-147848">How COVID all but killed the Australian CBD</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>A smart city or a wise city?</h2>
<p>Teleworking seems set to become a <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2020/04/06/telecommuting-will-likely-continue-long-after-the-pandemic/">more entrenched work practice</a> than ever before. Yet factors such as the impacts of home and place on human motivation have not been dealt with.</p>
<p>Over time, if governments want to encourage telework, our cities will need to change. Resources and infrastructure will need to be localised where people live – and increasingly work domestically – and not just in centralised employment districts.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-reminds-us-how-liveable-neighbourhoods-matter-for-our-well-being-135806">Coronavirus reminds us how liveable neighbourhoods matter for our well-being</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/151566/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Abbas Shah received funding for his research from The University of Queensland and UNSW Sydney through his Ph.D student budgets. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Robert Freestone receives funding from the Australian Research Council. </span></em></p>Most Australians working from home were happy to do so before COVID hit, but research has identified several key factors in whether these arrangements are likely to work out well for you.Abbas Shieh, Assistant Professor of Urban Planning and Design, Islamic Azad UniversityRobert Freestone, Professor of Planning, School of Built Environment, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1480742020-11-05T15:07:20Z2020-11-05T15:07:20ZHow working from home could revitalise rust belt cities<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/366765/original/file-20201030-15-uiaf53.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/longton-stoke-on-trent-staffordshire-5th-1222781611">RMC42</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>For years, we have been promised a work-from-home revolution, and it seems that the pandemic has finally brought it to pass. In April this year, at the height of the first wave of coronavirus, <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/coronavirusandhomeworkingintheuk/april2020">47% of people</a> in the UK were working from home, the vast majority of them doing so because of the pandemic. In a sense this is overdue: the work-from-home <a href="https://wol.iza.org/opinions/mitigating-the-work-safety-trade-off">potential</a> for UK employees is 32%; in France, Germany and Italy between 24% and 28%. </p>
<p>This structural transformation has the potential to at least partially undo another transformation from the previous century. With the decline of manufacturing in the United Kingdom after the 1970s, some cities – incuding Hull, Sheffield, Bradford and Stoke-on-Trent – entered a spiral of high unemployment and out-migration that has lasted to this day. This trend is echoed in other “rust belt” cities such as Saint-Etienne in France, Wuppertal in Germany and the American city of Detroit. </p>
<p>The rise of teleworking could end that spiral – if the right conditions are met.</p>
<h2>The changing workplace</h2>
<p>It’s unlikely that telework will end when the pandemic does – we will instead probably see workplaces encouraging <a href="https://www.economist.com/podcasts/2020/09/14/the-pandemic-has-shown-theres-another-way-of-organising-white-collar-work-the-future-of-the-office">a mix of in-office and home working</a>. Some organisations may start asking workers to be in the office for only two to three days per week, while others may opt for a “conference model” (that is, a few consecutive days or a week per month for all employees). </p>
<p>This does not mean the death of big cities. London will probably stay attractive and innovative thanks to its very strong initial advantage. San Francisco and Seattle in US, Munich in Germany and Amsterdam in the Netherlands will all remain hubs for knowledge workers. Scholars believe face-to-face still rules when it comes to creativity, and such cities provide <a href="https://www.worldcat.org/title/economy-of-cities/oclc/576534196">an environment that is conducive to innovation</a>. </p>
<p>But rust belt areas are cheaper and can attract skilled workers to regularly spend more time there once the pandemic is over.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A busy street in Soho, London." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/366768/original/file-20201030-15-1jqpsnk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/366768/original/file-20201030-15-1jqpsnk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=392&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/366768/original/file-20201030-15-1jqpsnk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=392&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/366768/original/file-20201030-15-1jqpsnk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=392&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/366768/original/file-20201030-15-1jqpsnk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=492&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/366768/original/file-20201030-15-1jqpsnk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=492&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/366768/original/file-20201030-15-1jqpsnk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=492&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">London will not lose its appeal.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/nightlife-on-streets-soho-londonuk17-2014-644901148">christo mitkov christov/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The job multiplier effect</h2>
<p>How can formerly deprived cities thrive after the pandemic? To understand the potential for revitalisation of rust belt cities, we can invoke the <a href="https://eml.berkeley.edu/%7Emoretti/multipliers.pdf">job multiplier effect</a>. This is where the presence of skilled workers helps create other jobs through increased demand for local goods and services. For example, after their day on Zoom (at home or in a local co-working space), skilled workers will want to go out. In this way they support a barista, a waiter, a chef and perhaps a taxi driver. Some will decide to renovate the house they live in, and ask a local architect. Once or twice a week they go for yoga. They may need a dogsitter when they travel.</p>
<p>This is not the only mechanism that could help with local revitalisation. Some of the people regularly spending more time in rust belt areas would be entrepreneurs, and we may see new business creation, as they seize new opportunities in industries such as culture, renewable energies, tourism, quality agro-food or handicraft.</p>
<p>In principle, therefore, our increased ability to work from home could lead to new growth opportunities.</p>
<h2>Will it work?</h2>
<p>But there are important caveats. Not all rust belt cities will be able take advantage of the post-pandemic world. After all, <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qbkWYp63akUEYANu7n6hCpQ8uYnlzCOO/view?usp=sharing">there were large differences in labour market performance after the 1970s</a>, when the aggregate number of manufacturing jobs started to decline. </p>
<p>In the UK, both Middlesborough and Slough had 44% manufacturing employment in 1970. But their experience was vastly different in the three following decades, with Middlesborough employment declining by 13% per decade and Slough employment growing by 12% per decade. Places such as Norwich and Preston in the UK, Bergamo in Italy, and San Jose in the US were traditional manufacturing hubs that nonetheless performed well in the decades that followed the start of manufacturing decline in their countries. </p>
<p>To understand why we may see large differences across different cities again with the rise of working from home, we first have to think about differences in what economists call human capital endowments – this relates to the skills of the workforce in a particular place. For example, if locality A has a greater share of the workforce with a university degree than locality B, it has a higher human capital endowment and is more likely to recover from industrial decline. </p>
<p>The skill level of the workforce is important for the task of <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qbkWYp63akUEYANu7n6hCpQ8uYnlzCOO/view?usp=sharing">local reinvention</a> – in our research team’s analysis of the reinvention potential for cities, we used the share of the workforce with a university degree as a proxy for this. To distribute these advantages across the board, scholars studying declining areas have called for measures
aimed at boosting training and facilitating the assimilation of
<a href="http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/85888/1/Rodriguez-Pose_Revenge%20of%20Places.pdf">knowledge and innovation</a>. </p>
<p>Another important challenge is the digital divide – the gap in speeds between areas with privileged access to the internet and the rest of the country. In the UK this is more than just a gap between urban and rural parts of the country – inner-city areas in <a href="https://ig.ft.com/gb-broadband-speed-map/">London, Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham</a> are also left behind. A large reduction of this gap was important for job creation before COVID-19 – it should be a top priority now.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="An overhead shot of a woman typing on a laptop at a table." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/367062/original/file-20201102-17-2us9jc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/367062/original/file-20201102-17-2us9jc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/367062/original/file-20201102-17-2us9jc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/367062/original/file-20201102-17-2us9jc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/367062/original/file-20201102-17-2us9jc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/367062/original/file-20201102-17-2us9jc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/367062/original/file-20201102-17-2us9jc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The UK’s digital divide affects cities too.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/high-angle-focused-young-african-american-1317157067">marvent/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Local <a href="https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/aer.20131706">amenities</a> also play a role. For skilled workers with family ties in a specific area, once they decide to regularly spend more time outside London, the choice of location is often pretty clear. For skilled workers without such ties, factors such as the <a href="http://www.jessiehandbury.com/papers/UrbanizationPatterns_vCurrentPublic.pdf">cultural and recreational</a> activities on offer in a new city become important, especially since they are used to a vibrant selection in London. </p>
<p>Overall, rust belt areas in Western economies face some opportunities for regeneration with teleworking, but there are also several important challenges. To maximise the potential for success, governments should consider measures that boost training, investment in high-speed broadband and improve transportation links between these cities and London. </p>
<p>These kinds of investments would help smaller cities such as Middlesborough, Hull and Stoke-on-Trent take advantage of the new opportunities presented by telework. Otherwise Manchester and, to some extent, other larger cities such as Birmingham and Liverpool could be the winners, among the rust belt, in the post-coronavirus work-from-home economy.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/148074/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michel Serafinelli received research funding (£9916 awarded in 2019) from the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
</span></em></p>Hull-office? Working from Stoke? How the pandemic could turn around decades of decline.Michel Serafinelli, Lecturer in Economics, University of EssexLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1451042020-09-03T06:52:45Z2020-09-03T06:52:45ZHave we just stumbled on the biggest productivity increase of the century?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/356222/original/file-20200903-18-1cxz77r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=322%2C293%2C2563%2C1067&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">fizkes/Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>One of the most striking responses to the COVID-19 pandemic has been the sudden shift of around half the workforce to working at home. </p>
<p>In many cases, this was combined with an equally sudden shift to home schooling. </p>
<p>Contrary to what might have been expected, working from home was one part of the pandemic response that went remarkably smoothly. Most kinds of office work continued almost as if nothing had changed.</p>
<p>Discussion of the crisis has mostly worked on the assumption that a return to something like the pre-crisis “normal” is both inevitable and desirable. </p>
<p>But the unplanned experiment we have been forced to undertake suggests we might have stumbled upon a massive opportunity for a microeconomic reform, yielding benefits far greater than those of the hard-fought changes of the late 20th century.</p>
<p>The average worker spends an hour on commuting every work day. Remarkably, this is a figure which has remained more or less stable since Neolithic times, a finding known as <a href="https://bigthink.com/strange-maps/marchettis-constant?rebelltitem=5#rebelltitem5">Marchetti’s Law</a>. (The same observation has been attributed to Bertrand Russell.)</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/356223/original/file-20200903-16-ucfv9r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/356223/original/file-20200903-16-ucfv9r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/356223/original/file-20200903-16-ucfv9r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=971&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356223/original/file-20200903-16-ucfv9r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=971&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356223/original/file-20200903-16-ucfv9r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=971&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356223/original/file-20200903-16-ucfv9r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1220&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356223/original/file-20200903-16-ucfv9r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1220&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356223/original/file-20200903-16-ucfv9r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1220&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Marchetti’s Law says we spend about an hour travelling to work whatever the era.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>If working from home eliminated an hour of commuting, without changing time spent on work or reducing production, the result would be equivalent to a 13% increase in productivity (assuming a 38-hour working work). </p>
<p>If half the workforce achieved such a gain, it would be equivalent to a 6.5% increase in productivity for the labour force as a whole.</p>
<p>For a comparison, let’s look at the radical microeconomic reforms of the 1990s, including privatisation, deregulation and national competition policy. </p>
<p>In 1995 the main advocate of these reforms, the Productivity Commission, then called the Industry Commission, estimated they would increase national income by <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/research/supporting/hilmer-reform-implications/hilmer.pdf">5.5%</a>. </p>
<p>In retrospect, that estimate appears to have been over-optimistic. </p>
<p>Although there was an upsurge in measured productivity growth in the mid-1990s, the total increase relative to the long-term trend was less than <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/24125267_Stories_about_productivity">1 percentage point per year</a> above normal. Low productivity growth since then has <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/research/ongoing/productivity-insights/recent-productivity-trends">wound back</a> those gains. </p>
<h2>These gains are big, compared to those we sweated on</h2>
<p>Even so, those reforms were, and to a large extent still are, widely seen as a crucial contributor to economic prosperity.</p>
<p>So, an improvement of 6.5% would be a huge benefit. It would be enough over a few years to offset the economic costs of the lockdown and many other impacts of the pandemic.</p>
<p>But, as in the case of microeconomic reform, this initial estimate may be misleading. And even if there are real benefits on average, it’s important to ask who will get them and who, if anyone, will lose.</p>
<p>A study by Harvard and New York University economists finds that people working from home spend around 48 minutes more time per day <a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w27612">connected to their offices</a>, leaving an average gain in free time of only 12 minutes per day.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/vital-signs-shorter-meetings-but-longer-days-how-covid-19-has-changed-the-way-we-work-143894">Vital Signs: Shorter meetings but longer days – how COVID-19 has changed the way we work</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>It seems likely, however, that at least some of this time is spent on household tasks, especially to the extent that workers had to take on child care and home schooling during the lockdown period. And, as well as saving commuting time, workers also save the monetary costs of commuting and at least some of the time spent getting ready for work.</p>
<p>On balance, it seems clear that on average working from home yields net benefits.</p>
<p>However, workers for whom social contacts at work represent a significant “fringe benefit” will lose that benefit, while other workers who value privacy or separating work and social life will gain a benefit. </p>
<h2>It’ll be harder for managers…</h2>
<p>Similarly, those who rely on chatting to colleagues to develop ideas will lose something relative to those who prefer more systematic approaches to obtaining information relying on electronic contact.</p>
<p>Another group of workers who might lose from remote working are <a href="https://www.afr.com/work-and-careers/workplace/middle-management-the-laggards-on-working-from-home-20200524-p54vwb">middle managers</a>.</p>
<p>To the extent that management depends on “presenteeism”, that is, physically keeping an eye on workers, remote working presents problems. </p>
<p>Intrusive checking on computer activity is likely to be resisted and evaded. Managers will have to learn to manage by objectively assessing results rather than observing what people do, and to get that evidence accepted further up in the hierarchy.</p>
<h2>…manageable for employers</h2>
<p>For employers, the shift to working from home has had little immediate impact. Workers wages haven’t changed and, at least in the short run, neither has spending on office space. </p>
<p>But, in the long run, remote working offers the possibility of much greater flexibility in hiring. Some employers such as Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg have already floated the idea of paying workers less because they can now live in cheaper locations, setting the stage for future conflict.</p>
<p>For the most part, disputes over sharing the benefits of remote office work will be hashed out between employers, workers and unions, in the ordinary workings of the labour market. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/thinking-about-working-from-home-long-term-3-ways-it-could-be-good-or-bad-for-your-health-141374">Thinking about working from home long-term? 3 ways it could be good or bad for your health</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>But what about the other half of the workforce, who don’t have the option of working from home? In particular, what about the mostly low-paid service workers who depend on people coming into offices?</p>
<p>If the productivity gains made possible through remote work are to be shared by the entire community, substantial government action will be needed to make sure it happens. </p>
<p>Most obviously, the higher rate of JobSeeker allowance has helped us get through the pandemic without the upsurge in suicide and other measures of social distress predicted by many. Returning to the poverty-level unemployment benefit (the old Newstart) would be a disaster.</p>
<h2>We’ll need to change the way we support workers</h2>
<p>The pandemic has shown how whole sectors of the economy, such as aged care, rely on casual workers piecing together multiple jobs, with no access to standard conditions like sick leave. Younger workers in particular suffer from underemployment and difficulties in making the transition to permanent full-time work. </p>
<p>What will be needed is both an expansion of publicly funded employment in a wide range of services, including aged care, and a reversal of trends towards casual and contract employment.</p>
<p>Disastrous though it has been, COVID-19 has taught us a lot about ourselves and about how our economy and society work. If we learn these lessons, we might be able to benefit and mitigate at least some of the harm done by the disaster.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/145104/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>John Quiggin does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A conservative estimate of the productivity gains from working from home suggests they’re bigger than all of the reforms of the 1990s combined.John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1422512020-07-22T11:58:09Z2020-07-22T11:58:09ZTelework mostly benefits white, affluent Americans – and offers few climate benefits<p>Back in in 2018 – in the pre-pandemic world – about 5% of the U.S. workforce <a href="https://www.enotrans.org/article/2018-acs-survey-while-most-americans-commuting-trends-are-unchanged-teleworking-continues-to-grow-and-driving-alone-dips-in-some-major-cities/">teleworked from home</a>. That changed dramatically with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic; by May 2020 that number had jumped to about <a href="https://doi.org/10.24149/wp2017">35%</a>. Tech giants Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Amazon and Twitter announced plans to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/05/18/facebook-google-work-from-home/">extend teleworking well into the fall</a> and possibly beyond. It’s a sea change that will permanently <a href="https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2020-04-03-gartner-cfo-surey-reveals-74-percent-of-organizations-to-shift-some-employees-to-remote-work-permanently2">alter the way America works</a> – and how companies conduct business.</p>
<p>Telework offers a host of potential advantages, including <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/qje/qju032">improved productivity</a>, <a href="https://globalworkplaceanalytics.com/telecommuting-statistics">lower costs for employers</a>, <a href="https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Publication%20Files/19-054_2ecb5287-d0bd-4aa0-b3d8-36fb44b757b4.pdf">greater flexibility</a> and <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/stoken/rbtfl/EnhOwEhELZ4aI/full">less stress</a> for workers, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S001393511400156X?via%3Dihub">lower exposure to pollution for commuters</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0966692319311305">less traffic congestion</a> – not to mention job security during the pandemic for those who can do it. A study conducted in 2017 found that many job applicants <a href="https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/aer.20161500">valued the option to work remotely</a> and would, on average, accept about 8% lower wages to do so. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.bu.edu/ise/2020/06/30/more-urgency-not-less-the-covid-19-pandemics-lessons-for-local-climate-leadership/">Our team is researching</a> connections between the pandemic, how people live and work in cities and city climate action. Transportation is central to this issue because it is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and access to reliable and affordable transportation is inequitably distributed – and it was severely disrupted by the pandemic. </p>
<p><a href="http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1990/1285/1285-012.pdf">Early research</a> suggested that teleworking reduced vehicle use – and with it, emissions – so it’s <a href="https://globalworkplaceanalytics.com/telecommuting-statistics">frequently touted</a> as a way to combat climate change. But <a href="https://www.nationalacademies.org/trb/blog/telework-transportation-research-in-light-of-the-covid-19-pandemic">subsequent studies</a> revealed a more nuanced picture. Our research indicates that a rush to embrace teleworking should be tempered with two realties: Increased telework will exacerbate inequality in America under current economic and social conditions, and the climate benefits are probably very modest, at best. </p>
<h2>Skewed opportunities</h2>
<p>Opportunities to telework vary greatly in the U.S., depending on race, income level and occupation. About <a href="https://doi.org/10.3386/w26948">37% of jobs</a> could be performed entirely at home, particularly in the fields of education and professional, scientific, technical and information services; in management positions; and in finance and insurance. </p>
<p>These positions are overwhelming held by white Americans. Meanwhile, <a href="https://bfi.uchicago.edu/wp-content/uploads/BFI_White-Paper_Mongey_3.2020.pdf">low-wage, work-from-home jobs</a> are among the few available to people of color. Well-paid telework is a quality of life benefit that is unavailable for many, especially those who are among the bottom half of U.S. wage earners or who lack a college degree. The service sector is a good example, with just 1 in 100 employees able to telecommute. Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.bls.gov/opub/reports/race-and-ethnicity/2018/home.htm">one-fifth of Black and Hispanic men</a> work in service occupations. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/347330/original/file-20200714-140154-pf8vl2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/347330/original/file-20200714-140154-pf8vl2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/347330/original/file-20200714-140154-pf8vl2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=433&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/347330/original/file-20200714-140154-pf8vl2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=433&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/347330/original/file-20200714-140154-pf8vl2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=433&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/347330/original/file-20200714-140154-pf8vl2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=544&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/347330/original/file-20200714-140154-pf8vl2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=544&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/347330/original/file-20200714-140154-pf8vl2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=544&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A number of occupations are not suited for telework and are not distributed evenly across the U.S. population.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Credit: Cutler Cleveland/Boston University</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Poor teleworking opportunities track alongside disparities in income and education. <a href="https://www.bls.gov/ncs/ebs/benefits/2019/ownership/civilian/table39a.pdf">One in 5 workers</a> in the top 10% income bracket work at home, but for the lowest bracket, numbers drop to just 1 in 100. Education matters, too: 37% of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher reported working from home in 2019 compared with <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/atus.t06.htm">just 16%</a> of those who only held a high school diploma.</p>
<h2>Does telework benefit the environment?</h2>
<p>So how does teleworking impact the environment? Research has shown that, surprisingly, the climate benefits are lower than conventional wisdom suggests. Overall, it may even <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13762-014-0556-5">increase emissions</a> because of <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ab8a84">indirect or “rebound” effects</a>. Household energy use rises when people work from home. Prosperity can also increase emissions. Workers save on commuting costs and teleworking boosts labor productivity and wages, allowing <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ab8a84">increased buying power of goods, services and a greater ability to travel</a> – but each of these have their own associated emissions. </p>
<p>The direct effect of working from home is straightforward: For those who once drove to work, fewer miles traveled translates to fewer emissions. But some telecommuting households actually <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214140517309258">drive more</a>. Errands once daisy-chained into a morning or evening commute may become multiple trips. In “car-scarce” households, other household members may jump at the chance to use the car. Without having to go into an office every day, there are <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/07/08/887585383/new-yorkers-look-to-suburbs-and-beyond-other-city-dwellers-may-be-next">early signs of people relocating to suburban</a> or rural areas where daily life requires more driving – making for a longer drive when they do have to commute. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.portland.gov/sites/default/files/2019-07/cap-2015_june30-2015_web_0.pdf">Reducing automobile travel</a> is a core strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but our review of the research shows that teleworking is not a panacea in this regard. Other strategies that encourage changes in transportation, such as compact, walkable neighborhoods, <a href="https://theconversation.com/with-fewer-cars-on-us-streets-now-is-the-time-to-reinvent-roadways-and-how-we-use-them-140408">more extensive and safe bike lanes</a> and expanded public transit may be better tools to reduce both emissions and inequity.</p>
<h2>Urban policies</h2>
<p>On its own, further growth in telework will worsen social equity, while offering limited environmental benefits. But cities can address both issues with well-crafted policies. For example, better public transportation reduces emissions and simultaneously benefits people of color who rely on it more than white city residents. Steering energy efficiency programs toward multifamily dwellings that house low-income renters will bring benefits – smaller utility bills, better air quality, improved health and new jobs – to vulnerable households. </p>
<p>We believe the disproportionate number of people of color who cannot work from home deserve targeted assistance in the form of affordable child care, paid sick leave, nutrition assistance and unemployment benefits. And as cities develop climate policies, <a href="https://www.bu.edu/ise/files/2019/06/CFB_Social_Equity_Report_053119.pdf">social equity</a> needs to be a principal objective. </p>
<p>[<em>Get facts about coronavirus and the latest research.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/the-daily-3?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=coronavirus-facts">Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter.</a>]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/142251/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Cutler J Cleveland receives funding from the Grantham and Summit Foundations.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jacqueline Ashmore receives funding from the Grantham and Summit Foundations.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alicia Zhang and Taylor Dudley do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Working from home has become the new norm for many during the pandemic. But it’s an opportunity that divides along racial and economic lines – and isn’t as beneficial to the environment as many believe.Cutler J Cleveland, Professor of Earth and Environment, Boston UniversityAlicia Zhang, PhD Student, Earth and Environment, Research Assistant, Institute for Sustainable Energy, Boston UniversityJacqueline Ashmore, Executive Director of the Institute for Sustainable EnergyResearch, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Boston UniversityTaylor Dudley, MBA Candidate, Questrom School of Business; Research Assistant, Institute for Sustainable Energy, Boston UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1415102020-07-03T12:25:27Z2020-07-03T12:25:27ZNearly 3 in 4 US moms were in the workforce before the COVID-19 pandemic – is that changing?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/344882/original/file-20200630-103673-wt7sen.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5250%2C2621&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Schooling at home is hard for all parents, including teleworkers.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/sarah-yunits-checks-her-daugher-adas-homework-while-cora-news-photo/1207811290">Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><figure class="align-center zoomable">
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<p>Millions of American families are finding themselves in a jam, with their jobs requiring them to <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/some-americans-who-got-laid-off-are-going-back-to-work-heres-which-sectors-are-rehiring-2020-06-08">return to work on site</a> and <a href="https://www.opb.org/news/article/risks-costs-and-goals-summer-school-face-to-face-oregon-covid-coronavirus/">plans from their local school districts</a> calling for children to spend less time in classrooms. At the same time, <a href="https://www.americanactionforum.org/insight/childcare-and-returning-to-work/">child care</a> is becoming less available and, in many cases, more costly.</p>
<p>Many working parents with young or school-age children may have to quit their job to stay home as the COVID-19 pandemic drags on. As a sociologist who studies <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Jc-a1IwAAAAJ&hl=en">parenthood, gender and labor market inequality</a>, I expect that more women than men will <a href="https://voxeu.org/article/impact-coronavirus-pandemic-gender-equality">leave their jobs</a>.</p>
<p>In 2019 – before this new disease upended life as we know it – <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/famee.htm">72% of all U.S. women with children under 18 were working or looking for work</a>, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The situation was very similar for mothers with spouses and those without them: 70% versus 77%. With nearly all married fathers employed or looking for work, in <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/famee.htm">64% of families with two parents</a> both were breadwinners.</p>
<h2>Distance learning</h2>
<p>Most school systems switched to <a href="https://www.edweek.org/ew/section/multimedia/map-coronavirus-and-school-closures.html">distance-learning models</a> in the <a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-kids-and-school-closings-a-public-health-expert-answers-4-questions-133425">final months of the 2019-2020 school year</a> due to COVID-19 concerns.</p>
<p>Tentative plans for an adapted 2020-2021 school year schedule generally include measures to reduce COVID-19 risks. These proposals aim to make it easier for students, educators and other staff to constantly <a href="https://theconversation.com/school-buildings-need-more-space-to-safely-reopen-138401">stay several feet apart from one another</a> while meeting as many needs as possible for a wide range of kids.</p>
<p>Most of the plans I’ve reviewed so far, whether in <a href="https://www.fox23.com/news/local/tulsa-public-schools-board-release-2020-2021-school-calendar-options/65D2JU3VHFDJFFICBIYW73RFLU/">Oklahoma</a>, <a href="https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/education/local_schools/madison-schools-to-take-hybrid-approach-to-reopening-in-fall-as-state-releases-guidance/article_b057a5c9-e4de-5daf-b763-f771016b9742.html">Wisconsin</a>, <a href="https://calmatters.org/education/2020/06/california-schools-fall-reopening-plan-k-12/">California</a> or elsewhere, combine <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/education-53014105">in-person and distance schooling</a>.</p>
<p>I’m lucky that my children are old enough to be able to learn relatively independently. One is entering high school and the other will soon be a college freshman. My husband and I also have <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/06/29/metro/umass-amherst-classes-will-be-mostly-remote-students-can-choose-return-campus/?s_campaign=breakingnews:newsletter">university jobs</a> that allow us to telework at least part of the time. But not all parents have this kind of flexibility. I have colleagues looking into enrolling their children in private schools out of concern about <a href="https://www.gazettenet.com/What-will-school-look-like-in-the-fall-34779750">proposed student schedules</a> in our <a href="https://www.gazettenet.com/What-will-school-look-like-in-the-fall-34779750">western Massachusetts</a> community.</p>
<p>The ability to telework makes it at least feasible to keep an eye on children on weekdays. This is an option for only <a href="https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2020/article/ability-to-work-from-home.htm">43% of all workers</a> – with the college-educated more able than others to take advantage of it. Even <a href="https://theconversation.com/without-child-care-work-and-family-are-impossible-137340">full-time teleworking parents</a> find it hard to have their kids at home when they need to be available around the clock for feeding, caring for and helping their children learn.</p>
<h2>Day care</h2>
<p>These issues are more challenging for parents of babies and very young children, who need even more attention, partly because <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/01/health/preschools-child-care-closing-pandemic-wellness/index.html">spaces in child care centers</a> were already hard to come by. Before the pandemic, U.S. families already struggled with <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-child-care-costs-more-than-college-tuition-and-how-to-make-it-more-affordable-92396">child care costs</a>. Adapting child care for social distancing means that labor and overhead costs for child care providers are rising as parents’ earnings are generally stagnant or falling.</p>
<p>What I haven’t yet seen is any explanation of how working parents might ensure that their children are OK at home, while they also need to hold down a job that requires their presence elsewhere. There’s no easy answer to this question: Are parents more negligent if they leave their children to go to work, or if they lose their job and cannot afford to feed, clothe and shelter their kids?</p>
<p>Even once a vaccine is discovered, I believe the U.S. urgently needs to transform its <a href="https://caseforchildcare.org/2020CaseForChildCare.pdf">child care</a> and educational systems to better recognize the central role they play in an economy that relies so heavily on working parents.</p>
<p>[<em>Deep knowledge, daily.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/the-daily-3?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=deepknowledge">Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter</a>.]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/141510/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Joya Misra has received funding from the National Science Foundation and the Washington Center for Equitable Growth. </span></em></p>In about two in three US families with two parents, both are working or looking for a job. That makes caring for kids when schools and day care providers are closed hard if not impossible.Joya Misra, Professor of Sociology & Public Policy, UMass AmherstLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1359332020-04-16T06:14:55Z2020-04-16T06:14:55ZHackers can access your mobile and laptop cameras and record you – cover them up now<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/328261/original/file-20200416-140697-6wbqyd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5367%2C3575&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Whether you use Zoom, Skype or Microsoft Teams, the webcam on your home PC or laptop device has probably never been as active as it is during this pandemic.</p>
<p>Most of us have a camera built into our phone, tablet, laptop, or a desktop webcam we use for work, study or virtual socialising. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, this privilege can leave us vulnerable to an online attack known as <a href="https://www.unilab.eu/articles/coffee-break/camfecting/">camfecting</a>. This is when hackers take control of your webcam remotely. They do this by disabling the “on” light which usually indicates the camera is active – so victims are none the wiser. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/click-for-urgent-coronavirus-update-how-working-from-home-may-be-exposing-us-to-cybercrime-133778">'Click for urgent coronavirus update': how working from home may be exposing us to cybercrime</a>
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<p>Many of our device cameras remain unsecured. In fact, research has suggested globally there are <a href="https://blog.malwarebytes.com/hacking-2/2019/09/15000-webcams-vulnerable-how-to-protect-webcam-hacking/">more than 15,000 web camera devices</a> (including in homes and businesses) readily accessible to hackers, without even needing to be hacked.</p>
<h2>Take a tip from Mark Zuckerberg</h2>
<p>When your laptop is turned off its webcam can’t be activated. However, many of us keep our laptops in hibernation or sleep mode (<a href="https://www.howtogeek.com/102897/whats-the-difference-between-sleep-and-hibernate-in-windows/">which are different</a>). In this case, the device can be woken by a cybercriminal, and the camera turned on. Even Mark Zuckerberg has admitted he <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jun/22/mark-zuckerberg-tape-webcam-microphone-facebook">covers his webcam</a> and masks his microphone.</p>
<p>The number of recorded instances of image captured through unauthorised webcam access is <a href="https://www.webarxsecurity.com/website-hacking-statistics-2018-february/">relatively low</a>. This is because most attacks happen without the user ever realising they’ve been compromised. Thus, these attacks go unaccounted for.</p>
<p>It’s important to consider why someone would choose to hack into your home device. It’s unlikely an attacker will capture images of you for personal blackmail, or their own creepy exploits. While these <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com.au/stop-webcam-hacker-creeps-watching-you-2013-3?r=US&IR=">instances do eventuate</a>, the majority of illicit webcam access is related to gathering information for financial gain. </p>
<h2>Say cheese!</h2>
<p>Cybercriminals frequently attempt tricking people into believing they’ve been caught by a webcam hack. Everyday there are thousands of <a href="https://www.unilad.co.uk/news/hackers-claim-theyve-found-a-way-to-record-people-watching-porn-to-scam-them/">spam emails</a> sent in a bid to convince users they’ve been “caught” on camera. But why?</p>
<p>Shaming people for “inappropriate” webcam use in this way is a scam, one which generates considerable ransom success. Many victims pay up <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/webcam-hackers-catch-man-wanking-demand-ransom/7668434">in fear of being publicly exposed</a>. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/webcamming-the-sex-work-revolution-that-no-one-is-willing-to-talk-about-69834">Webcamming: the sex work revolution that no one is willing to talk about</a>
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<p>Most genuine webcam hacks are targeted attacks to gather restricted information.
They often involve tech-savvy corporate groups carrying out intelligence gathering and covert image capturing. Some hacks are acts of corporate espionage, while others are the business of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/apr/06/phone-camera-microphone-spying">government intelligence agencies</a>.</p>
<p>There are two common acquisition techniques used in camfecting attacks. The first is known as an RAT (Remote Administration Tool) and the second takes place through false “remote tech support” offered by malicious people. </p>
<p>Genuine remote tech support usually comes from your retail service provider (such as Telstra or Optus). We trust our authorised tech support people, but you shouldn’t extend that trust to a “friend” you hardly know offering to use their own <a href="https://www.cloudbric.com/blog/2017/11/hacking-via-remote-access-software/">remote support software</a> to “help you” with a problem.</p>
<p>An example of an RAT is a <a href="https://www.kaspersky.com.au/resource-center/threats/trojans">Trojan virus</a> delivered through email. This gives hackers internal control of a device.</p>
<h2>Total access</h2>
<p>When a Trojan virus infects a device, it’s not just the webcam that is remotely accessed, it’s the whole computer. This means access to files, photos, banking and a range of data. </p>
<p>The ability to install a RAT has been around for several years. In 2015, a popular RAT could be purchased on the internet <a href="https://krebsonsecurity.com/2018/07/luminositylink-rat-author-pleads-guilty/">for just US $40</a>. The malware (harmful software) can be deployed via an email, attachment, or flash drive. </p>
<p>Those wanting to learn how to use such tools need look no further than YouTube, which has many tutorials. It has never been easier for hackers.</p>
<h2>Webcams are everywhere</h2>
<p>Our homes are getting “smarter” each year. In 2018, the average Australian household <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/consumer-affairs/the-average-aussie-home-has-27-connected-devices-here-s-why-that-s-growing-20181012-p509bw.html">reportedly had 17 connected devices</a>. </p>
<p>Let’s say there’s one or two laptops, three or four mobile phones and tablets, a home security camera system and a smart TV with a built-in camera for facial recognition. </p>
<p>Add a remote video doorbell, a talking doll named <a href="https://www.engadget.com/2017-02-17-germany-bans-my-friend-cayla-doll.html">My Friend Cayla</a>, the drone helicopter you got for Christmas, and the robot toy that follows you around the house – and it’s possible your household has more than 20 IP accessible cameras. </p>
<p>To better understand your vulnerabilities you can try a product like <a href="https://santanderglobaltech.com/en/shodan-how-to-avoid-your-webcam-from-being-hacked/">Shodan</a>. This search engine allows you to identify which of your devices can be seen by others through an internet connection.</p>
<h2>Practise ‘cyberhygiene’ at home</h2>
<p>Placing a piece of black tape over a camera is one simple low-tech solution for webcam hacking. Turning your laptop or desktop computer off when not in use is also a good idea. Don’t let a device’s hibernation, sleep or low power mode lure you into a false sense of safety.</p>
<p>At work you may have firewalls, antivirus, and intrusion detection systems provided by your company. Such protections are void for most of us when working from home. “Cyberhygiene” practices will help secure you from potential attacks. </p>
<p>Always use secure passwords, and avoid recycling old ones with added numbers such as <a href="https://businesstech.co.za/news/internet/312632/most-hacked-passwords-include-liverpool-and-manchester-united/">“Richmond2019”, or “Manutd2020”</a>. Also, make sure your antivirus and operating system software is regularly updated.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/zoombombers-want-to-troll-your-online-meetings-heres-how-to-stop-them-135311">'Zoombombers' want to troll your online meetings. Here's how to stop them</a>
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<p>Most of all, use common sense. Don’t share your password (including your home wifi password), don’t click suspicious links, and routinely clear your devices of unnecessary apps. </p>
<p>When it comes to using webcams, you may wonder if you’re ever completely safe. This is hard to know – but rest assured there are steps you can take to give yourself a better chance.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/135933/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Cook does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Most attacks happen without a victim even realizing it. And you’re not ‘safe’ just because your device is in sleep mode or hibernation.David Cook, Lecturer, Computer and Security Science,Edith Cowan University, Edith Cowan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1353112020-04-03T05:03:43Z2020-04-03T05:03:43Z‘Zoombombers’ want to troll your online meetings. Here’s how to stop them<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/324883/original/file-20200402-74904-xa7m2f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=14%2C28%2C1876%2C1043&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">StanWilliams/Pixabay</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>“<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/20/style/zoombombing-zoom-trolling.html">Zoombombing</a>” in case you haven’t heard, is the unsavoury practice of posting distressing comments, pictures or videos after gatecrashing virtual meetings hosted by the videoconferencing app <a href="https://zoom.us/">Zoom</a>. </p>
<p>With hundreds of millions around the world now reliant on the app for work, this unfortunate trend is becoming more common, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/zoom-bombing-calls-hacked-racial-slurs-pornography/">often involving a bombardment of pornographic imagery</a>.</p>
<p>In some cases, online trolls have crashed alcohol support group meetings held via the app. “Alcohol is soooo good,” <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/technology/490467-zoom-deeply-upset-after-online-trolls-interrupt-virtual-aa-meetings">the trolls reportedly said</a> to one group of recovering alcoholics. </p>
<p>In another incident, a Massachusetts-based high school teacher conducting an <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/boston/news/press-releases/fbi-warns-of-teleconferencing-and-online-classroom-hijacking-during-covid-19-pandemic">online class</a> had someone enter the virtual classroom and shout profanities, before revealing the teacher’s home address. </p>
<h2>Easy targets</h2>
<p>The problem is that Zoom meetings lack password protection. Joining one simply requires a standard Zoom URL, with an automatically generated nine-digit code at the end. A Zoom URL looks something like this: https://zoom.us/j/xxxxxxxxx</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/working-from-home-risks-online-security-and-privacy-how-to-stay-protected-134599">Working from home risks online security and privacy – how to stay protected</a>
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<p>Gatecrashers may only have to try a handful of code combinations before successfully landing a victim. The meeting’s host doesn’t need to grant permission for others to join. And while hosts can disable the screen share function, they’d have to be quick. Too slow, and the damage is done. </p>
<p>Last week, Zoom upgraded security on its <a href="https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/360041591671-March-2020-Update-to-sharing-settings-for-Education-accounts,">default settings</a>, but only for education accounts. The rest of the world needs to do this manually.</p>
<h2>Video conferencing is incredibly valuable</h2>
<p>Video conferencing technology has matured in recent years, driven by <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/1/21202584/zoom-security-privacy-issues-video-conferencing-software-coronavirus-demand-response">massive demand</a> even before COVID-19. </p>
<p>With social distancing restriction, virtual meetings are now the norm everywhere. Platforms like Zoom, Microsoft’s Skype and <a href="https://www.uctoday.com/collaboration/video-conferencing/top-10-video-conferencing-providers-2019-whos-king-of-collaboration/">others</a> have stepped up to meet demand.</p>
<p>Zoom is a <a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/overview/what-is-cloud-computing/">cloud-based</a> service that allows users to freely talk to and share video (if bandwidth allows) with others online. Notes, images and diagrams can also be shared to collaborate on projects. And meetings can have up to <a href="https://zoom.us/pricing">hundreds, even thousands, of participants</a>.</p>
<h2>How to stop the trolls</h2>
<p>Zoom is primarily a corporate collaboration tool that allows people to collaborate without hindrance. Unlike social media platforms, it was not a service that had to engineer ways to manage the bad behaviour of users – until now.</p>
<p>In January, Zoom <a href="https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201361953-New-Updates-for-Windows">issued a raft of security patches</a> to fix some problems.
If you get a prompt from Zoom to install updates, you should – but only if these updates are from Zoom’s own app and website, or via updates from Google Play or Apple’s App Store. Third-party downloads may contain malware (software designed to cause harm).</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-could-spark-a-revolution-in-working-from-home-are-we-ready-133070">Coronavirus could spark a revolution in working from home. Are we ready?</a>
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<p>While up-to-date software is your first line of defence, another is to keep your meeting URL away from public forums such as Twitter. Anyone with meeting’s URL can join, after which they’re free to post comments, pictures and videos at will. If you’re hosting a meeting that gets Zoombombed, disable the “screen sharing” option as quickly as possible. </p>
<p>Another option for more security is to use the “waiting room” function. This makes people wanting to join visible to the host, but keeps them out of the main meeting until they’re allowed in. This option is turned off by default. You can enable it by signing-in to your Zoom account at <em><a href="https://zoom.us/">https://zoom.us/</a></em> and clicking “Settings”. </p>
<p>Other tips:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>ensure screen sharing is possible for the host only</p></li>
<li><p>turn off the function that allows file transfer</p></li>
<li><p>turn off the “allow removed participants to rejoin” setting</p></li>
<li><p>turn off the “join before host” setting</p></li>
<li><p>turn on the “require a password” setting for meetings.</p></li>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XhZW3iyXV9U?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">This video explains the ins and outs of setting up a safe Zoom session.</span></figcaption>
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<h2>Who are the trolls?</h2>
<p>With many Zoomombing attacks being on educational institutions, it’s likely a large number of these trolls are simply mischievous students who obtain meeting URLs from other students or chatrooms. </p>
<p>But zoombombing is by no means restricted to the classroom. With the world in lockdown, extremists of all kinds are finding ways to relieve their confinement frustration. We’ve known for some time that being able to operate anonymously on the web <a href="https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/who-is-that-the-study-of-anonymity-and-behavior">does not bring out the best in people</a>. </p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/dark-web-not-dark-alley-why-drug-sellers-see-the-internet-as-a-lucrative-safe-haven-132579">Dark web, not dark alley: why drug sellers see the internet as a lucrative safe haven</a>
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</p>
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<p>At present, it doesn’t appear Zoombombing is an organised criminal activity. That said, it’s probably only a matter of time before someone finds a way to leverage financial reward from the practice. This could take the form of business intelligence gleaned from listening in to the meetings of rivals and competitors, in a similar fashion to planting a “bug” in the room. </p>
<p>Similarly, we could see a black market for Zoom URLs emerge among professional hackers, who would have new incentives to hack various systems to obtain valuable URLs. </p>
<p>Cybersecurity experts, privacy advocates, lawmakers and law enforcement are all <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/1/21202584/zoom-security-privacy-issues-video-conferencing-software-coronavirus-demand-response">concerned</a> Zoom’s default privacy settings don’t do enough to protect users from malicious actors. </p>
<h2>The bottom line</h2>
<p>As the COVID-19 pandemic leads the world to do their work online in isolation, the technology that allows this freedom must come under close scrutiny. </p>
<p>Zoombombing is progressing from a student prank to <a href="https://www.adl.org/blog/what-is-zoombombing-and-who-is-behind-it">more serious</a> incidents of <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/salvadorhernandez/zoom-coronavirus-racist-zoombombing">racist, sexist</a> and <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/nazi-zoombombing-jewish-yeshiva-university_n_5e84f704c5b692780506d519?ri18n=true">anti-semitic</a> hate speech.</p>
<p>Fortunately, safeguards aren’t difficult to build into such videoconferencing technologies. This just requires a willingness to do so, and needs to be done as a matter of urgency.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/135311/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Tuffley does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>‘Zoombombing’ trolls have started to infiltrate virtual meetings - bombarding unsuspecting victims with racist and sexist speech and in some cases, pornographic imagery.David Tuffley, Senior Lecturer in Applied Ethics & CyberSecurity, Griffith UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1353132020-04-02T04:55:17Z2020-04-02T04:55:17ZHow to boost your internet speed when everyone is working from home<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/324803/original/file-20200402-23115-17am6p0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=34%2C8%2C5699%2C3807&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>With #StayAtHome and social distancing now becoming a way of life, an increasing number of people are relying on the internet for work, education and entertainment. This has placed greater demand on our network infrastructure, reducing the <a href="https://www.nbnco.com.au/utility/glossary-of-terms">bandwidth</a> available for each user, and is leaving people frustrated at seemingly slow internet speeds. </p>
<p>While internet service providers such as TPG or Telstra may not be able to instantly respond to these changes, there are a few tricks you can use to boost your home internet’s speed.</p>
<h2>Why is your internet slow?</h2>
<p>There may be many reasons why your internet speed is slow. Internet use requires a reliable connection between your device and the destination, which may be a server that is physically located on the other side of the world.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/324804/original/file-20200402-23121-12pnqu3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/324804/original/file-20200402-23121-12pnqu3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/324804/original/file-20200402-23121-12pnqu3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/324804/original/file-20200402-23121-12pnqu3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/324804/original/file-20200402-23121-12pnqu3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/324804/original/file-20200402-23121-12pnqu3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/324804/original/file-20200402-23121-12pnqu3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/324804/original/file-20200402-23121-12pnqu3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Did you try turning your router off and on again? Tip: make sure it’s turned off for at least ten seconds.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Your connection to that server could pass through <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_to_live">hundreds</a> of devices on its journey. Each one of these is a potential failure, or weak point. If one point along this path isn’t functioning optimally, this can significantly affect your internet experience.</p>
<p>Web servers in particular are often affected by external factors, including <a href="https://theconversation.com/from-botnet-to-malware-a-guide-to-decoding-cybersecurity-buzzwords-77958">Denial of Service (DOS)</a> attacks, wherein an overload of traffic causes congestion in the server, and impedes proper functioning.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/mygovs-ill-timed-meltdown-could-have-been-avoided-with-elastic-computing-134665">MyGov's ill-timed meltdown could have been avoided with 'elastic computing'</a>
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<p>While you may not have control over these things from your home network, that doesn’t mean you don’t have options to improve your internet speed. </p>
<h2>Wifi signal boost</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://kb.netgear.com/235/What-is-a-wireless-access-point">access point</a> (wireless router) in your home network is used to connect your devices to your internet service provider. Most access points provide a wireless signal with limited channels, which can suffer interference from nearby signals, like your neighbour’s. A “channel” is a kind of virtual “pipe” through which data is transferred.</p>
<p>Although your devices are designed to avoid interference by switching channels automatically (there are usually 14 available), it may help to check your router settings, as some are set to a single channel by default. When trying different options to reduce interference, it’s advisable to select <a href="https://www.metageek.com/training/resources/why-channels-1-6-11.html">channels 1, 6 or 11</a> as they can help to minimise problems (for 2.4GHz wireless).</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/324761/original/file-20200401-23130-molfs4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/324761/original/file-20200401-23130-molfs4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/324761/original/file-20200401-23130-molfs4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=245&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/324761/original/file-20200401-23130-molfs4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=245&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/324761/original/file-20200401-23130-molfs4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=245&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/324761/original/file-20200401-23130-molfs4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=308&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/324761/original/file-20200401-23130-molfs4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=308&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/324761/original/file-20200401-23130-molfs4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=308&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">This diagram shows the frequency and channel distribution for 2.4GHz.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/344491/an-update-on-creative-commons-licensing?cb=1">Rob/Stack Exchange</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
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</figure>
<h2>What else can you do?</h2>
<p>There are further things you can try to improve your wifi signal. If your router supports 5GHz wifi signals, <a href="https://www.techadvisor.co.uk/how-to/network-wifi/how-change-wi-fi-channel-3325316/">switching to this</a> can provide a faster data rate, but over shorter distances. Reposition your router for best coverage (usually a central position). </p>
<p>The difference between 2.4GHz and 5GHz wifi signals is they have different data transmission speeds. While 5GHz can transfer data faster (with 23 available channels), 2.4GHz provides a wider range. If you want speed, go for 5GHz. For better coverage, choose 2.4GHz.</p>
<p>Some domestic appliances can cause interference with your router. It’s worth checking if using your microwave oven, cordless phone or baby monitor affects your connection, as they may be using the same frequency as your router. </p>
<p>Using a <a href="https://www.pcmag.com/news/wireless-witch-how-to-place-a-wireless-extender">wifi extender</a> can help with coverage by boosting or extending the signal.</p>
<h2>Viruses and malware</h2>
<p>To avoid computer viruses, make sure you regularly check for updates on your devices and use antivirus software. It’s also worth rebooting your router to clear specific malware (malicious software designed to damage your device or server), such as <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-actions-disrupt-advanced-persistent-threat-28-botnet-infected">VPNFilter</a> – a malware that <a href="https://blog.malwarebytes.com/cybercrime/2018/06/vpnfilter-malware-still-making-waves/">infects more than half a million routers</a> in more than 50 countries.</p>
<p>You should also check the following:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>does your router need to be replaced with a newer model? This may be the case if it has been used for many years. Newer models support enhanced functions and faster internet speeds</p></li>
<li><p>is the <a href="https://techterms.com/definition/firmware">firmware</a> of your wireless router <a href="https://windowsreport.com/update-router-firmware/">updated</a>? You can do this by visiting the device manufacturer’s website. This will help fix problems and allow additional functionality. It’s unlikely this update is done automatically. </p></li>
</ul>
<h2>Planning your internet usage</h2>
<p>If multiple people are streaming video at your home, which often requires <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/mar/13/covid-19-could-cause-permanent-shift-towards-home-working">ten times the daytime demand</a>, a limited internet connection will soon be fully used.</p>
<p>Try to plan your and family members’ online activities around peak times. Before the pandemic hit, most internet usage was likely oriented around the early evenings, after close of business. With the shift to remote working and schooling, more internet access is likely during the day, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/mar/13/covid-19-could-cause-permanent-shift-towards-home-working">with a 10% usage increase overall, and a 30% increase at peak times</a>.</p>
<p>Outside your home, connectivity is likely to be on a “best effort” plan, which shares a fixed bandwidth with other users. In other words, your mobile internet bandwidth is shared with others in your area when they access the internet at the same time. A shared bandwidth results in slower individual speeds.</p>
<p>You can’t control how many people access the internet, but you can manage your own internet activity by downloading large files or content overnight, or outside of peak hours (when there is less traffic).</p>
<h2>How to improve your ISP’s network issues</h2>
<p>While you can try to fix issues and optimise the setup inside your home, unfortunately you can’t really influence network performance outside of it. Thus, contacting your internet service provider’s call centre and seeking support is your best option.</p>
<p>All of the above considered, it’s important to remember that when using the internet, we’re sharing a limited resource. Just like buying pasta or toilet paper, there are many who need it just as much as you, so use it wisely.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/vital-signs-nbns-new-price-plans-are-too-little-too-late-123750">Vital Signs: NBN's new price plans are too little, too late</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/135313/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Your mobile internet bandwidth is shared with others in your area. That’s why many people trying to access the iternet at the same time results in slower speeds.James Jin Kang, Lecturer, Edith Cowan UniversityPaul Haskell-Dowland, Associate Dean (Computing and Security), Edith Cowan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1339052020-03-18T03:05:20Z2020-03-18T03:05:20ZCoronavirus: telcos are picking up where the NBN is failing. Here’s what it means for you<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/321204/original/file-20200318-37392-1yb6ry3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=105%2C81%2C5320%2C3538&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption"></span> </figcaption></figure><p>Telecommunication providers are taking positive steps to meet consumers’ demands in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the National Broadband Network (NBN Co) is being urged to reduce its wholesale broadband charges for these providers. </p>
<p>Companies such as Telstra and Optus offer broadband plans over the NBN, purchasing broadband data from the NBN at wholesale prices, which they then distribute to customers. In this time of crisis, the NBN should slash its wholesale prices. This will enable providers to purchase the extra data needed to meet demand as the country adopts widespread social-distancing.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/nbn-urged-to-intervene-as-pandemic-tests-broadband-connections-20200316-p54ain.html">Several</a> <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/technology/unprecedented-demand-for-nbn/news-story/753610eb604595b878cd8880739d4618">media</a> <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/nbn-braces-for-increased-load-as-covid-19-keeps-people-at-home/12062128">outlets</a> have covered how data usage over the NBN is expected to boom as more people self-isolate, and start working and studying from home. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, at a time when Australians are depending on the NBN for high speeds and reliable connections for telework and remote education, many people may be let down. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1239366108450189312"}"></div></p>
<h2>Expect strain</h2>
<p>Communications representatives from <a href="https://www.paulfletcher.com.au/media-releases/media-release-telco-industry-roundtable-on-covid-19">both</a> <a href="https://www.michellerowland.com.au/news/media-releases-communications/media-release-temporary-capacity-relief-for-telcos-should-be-considered-if-nbn-becomes-congested-16-march-2020/">sides</a> of government have acknowledged the virus’s spread will lead to hordes of people becoming reliant on the web for work and study. </p>
<p>This will lead to increased online traffic, slower internet speeds and higher wholesale costs for providers serviced by the NBN, limiting the amount of extra data these providers can purchase.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/working-at-home-to-avoid-coronavirus-this-tech-lets-you-almost-replicate-the-office-133350">Working at home to avoid coronavirus? This tech lets you (almost) replicate the office</a>
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<p>On Monday the <a href="https://www.paulfletcher.com.au/media-releases/media-release-telco-industry-roundtable-on-covid-19">federal government</a> reported the NBN had experienced a “modest increase of around 6% throughout the day and at peak times” in comparison to figures predating COVID-19’s spread.</p>
<p>Looking forward, the network expects busy-hour traffic, typically between 6pm and 9pm, to <a href="https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/fletcher/media-release/telco-industry-roundtable-covid-19">increase by up to 40%</a>, in line with other countries’ experiences. In Italy, data shared with NBN by <a href="https://www.telecomitalia.com/tit/it.html">Telecom Italia</a> showed Italy’s busy-hour traffic had increased by about 26%.</p>
<h2>A second-rate system</h2>
<p>In Australia, the Coalition government’s 2013 decision to move to a copper-based multi-technology-mix NBN, instead of Labor’s all-fibre network with fibre to the premises (FTTP), has seen Australia fall down the global broadband rankings. Fibre to the premises is when fibre-optic lines run from the nearest available node directly to a premises.</p>
<p>Currently, low-quality streaming over the NBN occurs for two reasons. Firstly, because of the NBN’s high data charges for service providers, and also because of the second-rate multi-technology-mix infrastructure. And this will only worsen as more people adhere to social-distancing and isolation measures.</p>
<p>Entertainment and sport are often streamed over the NBN at a resolution of 576p rather than the high-definition 1080p or 4K. Frustrated viewers are left watching media at a quality similar to old analogue television, due to the NBN’s use of obsolete, slow and unreliable technology since 2014, under the Coalition government.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-could-spark-a-revolution-in-working-from-home-are-we-ready-133070">Coronavirus could spark a revolution in working from home. Are we ready?</a>
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<p>Media streaming companies including <a href="https://www.foxtel.com.au/whats-on/foxtel-insider/foxtel/iq4k/satellite-vs-internet.html">Foxtel</a> have also complained their poor streaming quality is a result of this.</p>
<p>With COVID-19 causing mass disruptions, Comcast-owned media and entertainment company NBCUniversal recently <a href="https://corporate.comcast.com/press/releases/comcast-nbcuniversal-moves-to-make-current-movies-available-in-the-home">announced</a> it will end the practice of delaying online film releases to streaming companies like Netflix for several months after the film’s cinema release. </p>
<p>NBCUniversal said, in reference to social distancing and smaller audiences expected at cinemas: “Current circumstances have made it more challenging to view our films.”</p>
<p>Unfortunately for Australians, even if we can get new movies over the NBN the same day they’re released, we could be stuck with poor quality and congestion during peak times. </p>
<h2>Our neighbours set an example</h2>
<p>In New Zealand, an FTTP rollout has been progressing since 2012. Connections to Chorus <a href="https://www.chorus.co.nz/">UFB broadband</a> (New Zealand’s NBN equivalent) cost a flat monthly fee for service providers, don’t incur a data usage charge and have no data usage limits. </p>
<p>This has allowed companies to quickly respond to the pandemic, and they have begun offering extra content free of charge. For instance, <a href="http://itwire.com/entertainment/nz-s-spark-sport-channel-offers-free-viewing-until-may.html">Spark Sport</a> is providing its six sports channels and on-demand offerings at no charge for existing and new customers until May.</p>
<p>In a <a href="https://www.nbnco.com.au/corporate-information/media-centre/media-statements/increase-in-residential-data-demand">statement</a>, NBN Co chief executive Stephen Rue said the company was working with retailers to “do everything possible to optimise the NBN to support the expected increase in residential use”.</p>
<p>On Tuesday, when asked if there would be cost subsidies for retailers or consumers, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/nbn-braces-for-increased-load-as-covid-19-keeps-people-at-home/12062128">Rue told the ABC</a> the NBN was working with retailers, to ensure they would be provided with “the capacity they need”.</p>
<p>The NBN published a guide on <a href="http://www.nbn.com.au/workingfromhome">working from home</a> during the pandemic. It highlights the need for broadband consumers to purchase an NBN plan that offers the right speed necessary for their internet activities. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1238794762318041089"}"></div></p>
<h2>NBN, now’s the time to show-up for Australians</h2>
<p>While the NBN is set to benefit from the extra data usage during the pandemic, Telstra and Optus have taken a <a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/technology/telstra-optus-offer-free-internet-access-during-coronavirus-pandemic-calls-for-nbn-to-follow/news-story/06d4540a20b35a9ba358807dfa29c14e">positive step</a> by offering customers additional broadband data and internet access, free of charge.</p>
<p>During April, <a href="https://www.optus.com.au/for-you/support/answer?id=20065">Optus will provide an additional 20GB for postpaid mobile customers and 10GB for prepaid</a> customers. <a href="https://exchange.telstra.com.au/supporting-our-customers-during-covid-19/">Telstra has gone one step further to provide an extra 25GB for postpaid mobile customers</a>, if they apply for it through <a href="https://www.telstra.com.au/my-account/telstra-24x7-app">the Telstra 24x7 app</a>. </p>
<p>Moreover, Telstra home broadband users will have unlimited data from this Thursday until April 30. Telstra will be paying NBN a potentially huge amount for this extra data deployment. </p>
<p>For the sake of the public, the NBN should reduce its wholesale data charges during this pandemic. It could look to move to a flat monthly access fee with no data usage charges, similar to the approach taken in New Zealand.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/telecommuting-could-curb-the-coronavirus-epidemic-133308">Telecommuting could curb the coronavirus epidemic</a>
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<p>The good news is the NBN will probably eventually heed calls to action and lower these charges. </p>
<p>The network is already a lemon, and it’s unlikely the NBN Co board will risk the public backlash it will receive if it’s seen trying to shore up its weak bottom line at a time of national crisis.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/133905/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mark A Gregory does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Telstra and Optus have already made arrangements to support customers with extra, free data during the COVID-19 pandemic. But what is the NBN doing?Mark A Gregory, Associate professor, RMIT UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1274882020-01-09T13:31:32Z2020-01-09T13:31:32ZTelecommuters create positive change – so why aren’t employers more flexible about people working from home?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/303529/original/file-20191125-74603-r64hh9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">More workers are demanding the flexibility to work out of the office.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Associated-Press-Finance-amp-Business-Califor-/e5af733ee5e3da11af9f0014c2589dfb/34/0">AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>More Americans are <a href="https://transweb.sjsu.edu/research/1860-Flexible-Workplaces-South-Bay">using flexible workplace practices</a> – including telecommuting, co-working and off-peak start times – to add flexibility to their lives and eliminate or improve their commute. </p>
<p>One motivation? Rush hour traffic is getting worse, and <a href="https://mobility.tamu.edu/umr/report/">commute times are getting longer</a>.</p>
<p>For example, the average American today <a href="https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045218">spends close to an hour</a> getting to and from work. It’s worse in big cities. In the greater New York area, commutes average 1 hour 14 minutes round-trip.</p>
<p><a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=RahmY6UAAAAJ&hl=en">We’re experts</a> in <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mohja_Rhoads">urban planning and development</a>, and started wondering why worsening traffic wasn’t encouraging more people to telecommute.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/305050/original/file-20191203-66998-1fk1zm4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/305050/original/file-20191203-66998-1fk1zm4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/305050/original/file-20191203-66998-1fk1zm4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/305050/original/file-20191203-66998-1fk1zm4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/305050/original/file-20191203-66998-1fk1zm4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/305050/original/file-20191203-66998-1fk1zm4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/305050/original/file-20191203-66998-1fk1zm4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">As more people work from home, others will take their places on roads and crowded public transportation.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/new-york-july-14-2014-passengers-205552573?src=154c83a8-ad03-4005-9f2e-dd1a056c776c-1-14">stockelements/Shutterstock.com</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What do we know about workplace flexibility?</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/12/what-telecommuting-looked-like-in-1973/418473/">Telecommuting</a> – <a href="https://www.jala.com/definitions.php">or working at home</a> – has many benefits. Workers have been modifying commutes ever since the phone and portable computers made it possible.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/8156-future-of-remote-work.html">Advances in technology</a> within the last decade have greatly expanded our ability to work from anywhere at any time. Many of us are taking advantage of this flexibility.</p>
<p><a href="https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2012/demo/p70-132.pdf">Census estimates</a> show that <a href="https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2012/demo/p70-132.pdf">the percentage of the workforce working from home</a> the majority of the week <a href="https://www.enotrans.org/article/2018-acs-survey-while-most-americans-commuting-trends-are-unchanged-teleworking-continues-to-grow-and-driving-alone-dips-in-some-major-cities/">grew from 3.3% in 2000 to 5.3% in 2018</a>, and <a href="https://globalworkplaceanalytics.com/telecommuting-statistic">is growing faster than additions to the workforce</a>.</p>
<p>Most people adopt flexible workplace practices just a few times a month rather than full-time, and these <a href="https://transweb.sjsu.edu/research/1860-Flexible-Workplaces-South-Bay">numbers are also growing</a>.</p>
<h2>How workers win</h2>
<p>What are the benefits of telecommuting?</p>
<p>For one thing, it allows workers to <a href="https://www.newgeography.com/content/003082-the-rise-telework-and-what-it-means">seek cheaper housing, yet still have access</a> to a large job market. </p>
<p>They can also use time previously spent commuting in more productive ways. </p>
<p>Companies that offer flexible workplace practices <a href="http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/ref/collection/p15799coll3/id/528426">have a competitive edge</a> because they are more attractive to workers. Many high-tech businesses and startups cater to their employees’ needs in order to attract and retain talent because talent is <a href="http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/ref/collection/p15799coll3/id/528426">critical to innovation</a>. </p>
<p>Flexible workplace practices can also <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/01409171211238820">increase an organization’s productivity</a>. Studies have shown that workers who have control over their schedules and places of work are more satisfied and productive. They don’t quit as often or take as many sick days.</p>
<p>But even with these benefits, most organizations are still not comfortable granting flexibility to their workers.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/305049/original/file-20191203-67023-1mapf7o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/305049/original/file-20191203-67023-1mapf7o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=366&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/305049/original/file-20191203-67023-1mapf7o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=366&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/305049/original/file-20191203-67023-1mapf7o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=366&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/305049/original/file-20191203-67023-1mapf7o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=460&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/305049/original/file-20191203-67023-1mapf7o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=460&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/305049/original/file-20191203-67023-1mapf7o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=460&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Traffic concerns have led some cities to encourage telecommuting.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/traffic-jam-rush-hour-554001493?src=132f66ba-8623-4957-a3df-1f12659c898a-1-3">bibiphoto/Shutterstock.com</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Obstacles to flexibility</h2>
<p><a href="https://transweb.sjsu.edu/research/1860-Flexible-Workplaces-South-Bay">Our recent report</a> showed that many workers we surveyed viewed managerial and executive resistance to telework as a major obstacle. </p>
<p>Through interviews, we learned that executives saw the benefits of using flexible work to their advantage as a negotiating tool for recruitment, promotion, retention and motivation, but they often worried about the costs of training and potential culture change.</p>
<p>They expressed concern that allowing telecommuting could create inequitable outcomes in the workplace, and possibly negatively impact morale.</p>
<p>Because flexible workplace practices provide so many benefits, we believe policymakers should encourage its implementation. In Atlanta, which has seen one of the fastest-growing commute times of any city, policymakers have implemented <a href="https://atlanta.curbed.com/2019/11/15/20966041/atlanta-georgia-telework-week-telecommute">telework programs</a>.</p>
<p>It has paid off. From 2008 to 2017, the number of commuters working from home increased from <a href="https://whatsnextatl.org/data-dive-how-metro-atl-gets-to-work/">5.7% to 7.3%</a>.</p>
<p>There are no easy fixes here. Even if organizations become more willing to allow flexible workplace practices, we will likely never see a future in which the roads are free of congestion. </p>
<p>That’s because any traffic decreases will result in people that were previously using alternatives joining the roads. This is called “<a href="https://www.accessmagazine.org/fall-2004/traffic-congestion-stay-will-get-worse/">triple convergence</a>” in the field of transportation research, and it is the principle that congestion self-adjusts.</p>
<p>In other words, you can add more lanes to a highway, but after a while people will catch on, begin using the route and congestion will <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/research/traffic-why-its-getting-worse-what-government-can-do/">stay the same or increase</a>.</p>
<p>[ <em>Like what you’ve read? Want more?</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=likethis">Sign up for The Conversation’s daily newsletter</a>. ]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/127488/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Fynnwin Prager receives funding from CSU Transportation Consortium and South Bay Workforce Investment Board.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mohja Rhoads does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>More workplaces are allowing employees to telecommute, but there are still barriers to more flexible arrangements.Mohja Rhoads, Research Consultant and Lecturer in Policy, Planning and Development, California State University, Dominguez HillsFynnwin Prager, Assistant Professor of Public Administration, California State University, Dominguez HillsLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/125862013-03-04T19:33:20Z2013-03-04T19:33:20ZYahoo’s telework ban signals a return to ‘command and control’ management<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/20873/original/9x4jhvk8-1362368120.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer's stance on teleworking reflects a shift in management strategy.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>When I read last Friday that the CEO of Yahoo!, Marissa Mayer, was implementing a <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/comment/yahoos-have-little-to-cheer-as-ban-hits-home-for-mothers-20130228-2f959.html">ban on Yahoo! employees from working at home</a>, I confess I was staggered by the apparent absurdity of it. After all, Yahoo!’s business model is predicated on facilitating virtual relationships, rather than those based on physical presence, aiming to “<a href="http://yhoo.client.shareholder.com/faq.cfm">keep people connected to what matters most to them, across devices and around the globe</a>”.</p>
<p>Yahoo!’s decision comes at a time when the Australian government has committed to a target of <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/it-pro/government-it/public-service-teleworking-target-of-12-20121111-296sb.html">12% of Commonwealth public servants working from home</a> (teleworking or telecommuting) by 2020, and the leader of the opposition is promoting a <a href="http://www.liberal.org.au/latest-news/2013/02/28/tony-abbotts-address-universities-australia-higher-education-conference">greater role for online learning in our universities</a>, presumably to take further advantage of the National Broadband Network. Yahoo!, it seems, wants to support these kinds of efforts—to keep us connected—but by taking the “tele” out of “telecommuting” in the process.</p>
<p>The decision has sparked quite an <a href="http://natpo.st/WxRqob">outpouring of criticism</a> via our key 21st century communication medium: the Internet. On the one hand, Forbes considers the decision symptomatic of a <a href="http://onforb.es/YHLbQy">failure of leadership</a>, while <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/comment/yahoos-have-little-to-cheer-as-ban-hits-home-for-mothers-20130228-2f959.html">Maureen Dowd</a>, writing in the New York Times, is more concerned about Ms Mayer’s “less-privileged sisters with young children [for whom] telecommuting is a lifeline to a manageable life”. Others have argued that <a href="http://www.networkworld.com/news/2013/022813-yahoo-telework-267219.html">the jury is out</a>, and there is plenty of <a href="http://www.fiercecio.com/story/yahoo-got-it-right-and-wrong-say-telework-surveys/2013-03-01">evidence to support either position</a>.</p>
<p>Writing in November last year about whether <a href="http://theconversation.com/go-forth-and-telework-but-will-it-work-for-you-10682">telework</a> is for everyone, I discussed some of its pros and cons: increased productivity, improved employee well-being, and better green outcomes for the community on the one hand, but more complex coordination challenges, missed development and promotion opportunities, and feelings of isolation from the community on the other. These have been variously rehearsed in the more recent exchanges of views about teleworking, and so I won’t replay them here. Instead, I want to focus on a more general point that the move seems to suggest – the return of a “command and control” approach to employees and their performance, ostensibly to improve productivity and, thereby, the return on shareholders’ funds.</p>
<p>Throughout the 20th century, we were witness to the “evolution” of people management, as the efficiency focus of <a href="http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?issn=1751-1348&volume=12&issue=4&articleid=1569997&show=abstract">Frederick Winslow Taylor</a>’s scientific management gave way to the <a href="http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?issn=1751-1348&volume=18&issue=1&articleid=17009781">human relations movement</a> and, later, the importance of <a href="http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=1410214&show=abstract">organisational culture</a> and <a href="http://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=zCndDk5W9nQC&oi=fnd&pg=PA186&dq=%22employee+relations%22&ots=gfIP2-xvv3&sig=RsEofkby5Mf5liPsDuq6bpLW-90#v=onepage&q=%22employee%20relations%22&f=false">employee relations</a>. </p>
<p>More recently though, with the effects of the GFC reflected in demands for increased productivity and increased job insecurity at all levels, it seems that the notion of “management by walking/wandering around” has been replaced by one of “management by pushing around”, as organisations turn from people management strategies informed by <a href="http://www.economist.com/node/12370445">Douglas McGregor’s</a> participative Theory Y to the more authoritarian Theory X. It is not coincidental that, at the same time, we have been witness to significant increases in claims of <a href="http://www.aph.gov.au/%7E/media/05%20About%20Parliament/53%20HoR/537%20About%20the%20House%20magazine/46/PDF/Poison1.ashx">bullying in the workplace</a> and levels of reported <a href="http://www.medibank.com.au/Client/Documents/Pdfs/The-Cost-of-Workplace-Stress.pdf">work-related stress</a>.</p>
<p>Samuel Johnson once described patriotism as the last refuge of the scoundrel. In the face of a diminished capacity to retain and motivate employees by throwing money at them (because this is, of course, their primary driver, at least when one’s thinking is informed by Theory X assumptions) and an apparent inability to create a positive company culture, through effectively recognising and rewarding employees (by drawing on intra-and inter-personal skills to encourage, praise and lead by a “no blame” example), Theory X may well be the last refuge of the manager now managing by pushing around. </p>
<p>And so we hear the following kinds of statements from CEOs and their senior executives, together with the unintended accompanying messages: “I have to have staff nearby so I can motivate them” (sotto voce: they goof off when I can’t see them); “We have to centralise to increase specialisation and therefore efficiency” (geographically dispersed staff can’t be trusted to do our work in a timely and proper manner);“We’re bringing people together to improve collaboration” (if we don’t have you physically present with each other, you’re not smart enough to come up with clever ways of virtual collaboration).</p>
<p>In this era of KPIs and performance-driven manager remuneration, the assumptions of McGregor’s Theory X provide managers with a convenient explanation for failing to meet deadlines, meet revenue projections or implement strategic initiatives – we haven’t got the right structures in place to take account of the inherent inadequacies of our human resources; we need to centralise and have people working in physical proximity to increase their productivity and teamwork.</p>
<p>An interesting footnote is that, at the same time it is stopping its employees from teleworking, Yahoo! has also stopped referring to itself as a “digital media company”, now describing itself as a “<a href="http://techcrunch.com/2013/03/01/yahoo-is-now-officially-calling-itself-a-technology-company-ditching-the-digital-media-tagline/">global technology company</a>” instead. Perhaps it is easier to avoid the “Do as I say ….” tag when your business is about technology and not the medium it supports.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/12586/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Lamond does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>When I read last Friday that the CEO of Yahoo!, Marissa Mayer, was implementing a ban on Yahoo! employees from working at home, I confess I was staggered by the apparent absurdity of it. After all, Yahoo!’s…David Lamond, Adjunct Professor of HRM & International Business, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/125902013-03-04T03:40:43Z2013-03-04T03:40:43ZMarissa Mayer is right: your company needs you (in the office)<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/20868/original/sg4kqfkq-1362366888.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Marissa Mayer's ban on remote work has sparked a lengthy debate about the value of working from home.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Image from www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Last week, the media went into overdrive when Marissa Mayer announced that Yahoo was <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/atwork/2013/02/25/at-yahoo-working-from-home-doesnt-work/">doing away with telecommuting</a> and insisting that employees come into the office and work cheek-to-cheek — or cubicle to cubicle — with their co-workers.</p>
<p>The reactions to the announcement have been fairly typical. On the one hand are articles with pictures of “workers at home” beavering away at desks that seem too clean, and expressing outrage as to how such a decision ignores all the value created by giving people the freedom to work at home or in the neighbourhood coffee shop. Invariably, these articles include criticisms of the move by other CEOs, such as Richard Branson, who consider them out of line with modern workforce practices. The <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/it-pro/business-it/mayer-feels-heat-over-telecommuting-ban-20130227-2f4rj.html">usual evidence touted by HR types</a>, that firms that embrace workplace flexibility have higher satisfaction ratings and lower turnover, is invariably part of the discussion.</p>
<p>But a number of articles argue that a ban on telework is no big deal — or that it could be beneficial. These articles point to the <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/margiewarrell/2013/02/27/get-to-the-office-or-get-out-why-marissa-mayer-has-made-a-smart-move/">importance of face-to-face contact</a> and the serendipitous nature of innovative collaboration. Many point out that few telecommuters working in major corporations spend the majority of their time in the home offices, as most of the individuals supposedly being more efficient at home are contractors to companies rather than full employed with a single company.</p>
<p>But what few of these articles discuss is whether there is any value for a company in having fully employed managers and staff operating in isolation for the majority of their working time. Of course, there are situations where working away from the office is necessary and efficient. There are distractions to be ignored when concentration is necessary to complete a project or task and being away from the office increases the costs to others from distracting you. However, the whole point of having individuals working together implies that there are compensating benefits to co-location. So what is the evidence?</p>
<p>First, it turns out that to get the benefit of working effectively with others you need to be quite close to them. For example, <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048733304000964">studies</a> in laboratories and technology companies show that the probability of interaction drops to virtually zero at a distance of about 30 meters. This suggests that if you are on the other side of a building floor (or on another floor altogether), the likelihood that you will interact someone in those locations is nil on any given day. Hence, one conclusion is that if I, as an employee, am unlikely to interact with these people, why can’t I not interact with them from home?</p>
<p>Organisations know this and structure interactions to counter this effect. As strange as it may seem, open-plan offices and all those distractions telecommuters complain about are actually meant to counter this problem of organisational distance. While it sounds “modern” to argue for workplace flexibility, the reality is that successful modern corporations are not just exploiters of knowledge, but explorers and creators of knowledge. Such creation activities cannot and do not arise from individuals operating independently at a distance.</p>
<p>Second, telecommuting is little more than a form of outsourcing. The best value from removing employees from the corporate prison will arise with those individuals who are least effective or least necessary to increase the value of those around them. In other words, telecommuters may be very efficient at what they do – indeed, maybe more efficient than a cubicle-bound drone. But what telecommuters are not good at doing is making other people more efficient or innovative. </p>
<p>Indeed, this is the logic behind outsourcing. If a “module” from a value chain of activities can be removed and contracted to someone who specialises in certain tasks and then do this in a market-based transaction then it certainly makes sense to do so. “Output” is simply plugged into the outsourced module. Outsourcing also is enhanced when there is a clear measurable output and all one is concerned about is making sure that the output meets quality, time and price specifications.</p>
<p>However, what one would want to keep in-house is the sharing of tacit knowledge between employees, which often occurs when employees interact face-to-face. Unlike an outsourcing agreement, it is difficult to assess the market value of these interactions.</p>
<p>A group working together in proximity can meet a corporation’s goals in a way that cannot be replicated by aggregating the efforts of individual actors. Unfortunately, these effects are less predictable and harder to manage and, hence, the outputs cannot really be measured easily. This is why managing the “inputs” — the employees — is so important. For example, I keep my PhD students close to me on a daily basis because the plethora of small interactions I have with them have far more value to them than a single formal meeting.</p>
<p>These points together highlight why being in proximity to your co-workers matters, particularly in knowledge-intensive activities. The burden of proof of the value of an employee in this world is not that you are more efficient, but that your proximity to others makes them more efficient.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/12590/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Timothy Devinney receives funding from the Australian Research Council.</span></em></p>Last week, the media went into overdrive when Marissa Mayer announced that Yahoo was doing away with telecommuting and insisting that employees come into the office and work cheek-to-cheek — or cubicle…Timothy Devinney, Professor of Strategy, University of Technology SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/106822012-11-13T03:20:52Z2012-11-13T03:20:52ZGo forth and telework — but will it work for you?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/17532/original/t8yg4wtr-1352764746.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">This is Canberera calling: Prime Minister Julia Gillard emphasises the importance of teleworking via videolink to a conference in Melbourne.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>At yesterday’s <a href="http://www.telework.gov.au/telework_events">Telework Conference</a> at Melbourne Unversity, Prime Minister Julia Gillard — who delivered a speech via videolink — committed to a target of <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/it-pro/government-it/public-service-teleworking-target-of-12-20121111-296sb.html">12% of Commonwealth public servants working from home</a> (teleworking or telecommuting) by 2020. </p>
<p>People would work at home one or more days a week and connect with colleagues and clients using a variety of technologies, including the national broadband network (NBN). </p>
<p>Some have said that it’s an excuse to justify the expenditure on the National Broadband Network, while others have welcomed the announcement as an important contribution to sustainability (quite apart from the benefits to workers of not being caught in traffic), having flexibility in their working arrangements, and so on.</p>
<p>Teleworking is not new, especially for academics who are increasingly linking to colleagues, students and databases via information and communications technologies that have developed a whole range of capabilities in recent years – smart phones, tablets, and integrated communications systems, not to mention WiFi connections. </p>
<p>Scouring library stacks has been replaced by searching electronic databases from the office, from home or even an airport as we head overseas to the next conference. Indeed, The Conversation is an example of Marshall McLuhan’s phrase <a href="http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=8&cad=rja&ved=0CEwQtwIwBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DImaH51F4HBw&ei=V3qhULqlDa6aiAfotYHADw&usg=AFQjCNGppS_q4MZ7Fw-yTaLKqI-nxl489Q">“The medium is the message”</a>, as we explore, discuss and comment on a broad range of issues through this social medium.</p>
<p>But is teleworking everything it’s cracked up to be, and can it be simply be a case of saying to employees: “Here’s your laptop, here’s your mobile phone and here’s your broadband connection – go forth and be productive”?</p>
<p>Over the last decade, several colleagues and I wrote <a href="http://www.fishpond.com.au/Books/Managing-Telework-Kevin-Daniels-David-Lamond/9781861525727">at length</a> about the <a href="http://fs1.bib.tiera.ru/content/DVD-012/Holman_D.,_Wall_T.D.,_Clegg_C.W._(eds.)_The_Essentials_of_the_New_Workplace%5Bc%5D_A_Guide_to_the_Human_Impact_of_Modern_Wor%5B...%5Dtices_(2005)(en)(255s).pdf#page=189">issues associated with managing telework</a>.</p>
<p>While the technology has changed dramatically in the intervening period, the concerns remain the same. Many of these relate to working in virtual (geographically dispersed) rather than co-located teams.</p>
<p>For example, team members choosing to work at home, likely on different days, will bring about changes in the type of work undertaken and the context within which the work is carried out, affecting the way team members conduct work, communicate with each other and express themselves. </p>
<p>Accordingly, they will need to: learn new ways to express themselves and understand others in an environment with a ‘diminished sense of presence’; develop superior team participation skills, inter alia, because fluid membership requires quick assimilation; gain proficiency in a variety of information and communications technologies (ICTs); and develop communication and cultural sensitivity skills, as geographical dispersion may cross national and cultural boundaries.</p>
<p>Yet there is a set of expectations about “work”, held by society in general, and managers and co-workers in particular, that complicate the introduction of telework in organisations. For example, society sees work as an activity that is performed in an office in “office hours”, while work at home is a low-status, income-supplementation pursuit. </p>
<p>Unions often describe <a href="http://books.google.com.au/books?id=cqoezi7D5mgC&pg=PA75&lpg=PA75&dq=unions+telework+exploitation&source=bl&ots=qucRuW2lRB&sig=68q3AIL2ouEMqh4Vt9rXcmwEytg&hl=en&sa=X&ei=f5GhUMbGLO2ZiAfE6oHgBw&ved=0CHsQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q&f=false">work at home as exploitative</a>, externalising the costs of work to workers themselves. Meanwhile, co-workers often see teleworkers as having an additional privilege, being less serious about their careers and simply “not available”.</p>
<p>Just as we consider the issue of job-person fit for traditional roles, we also have to consider whether we can find the right person for the job when it comes to teleworking.</p>
<p>There are particular forms of teleworking that individuals will find more or less stimulating, and to which they will be more or less suited. When making our selection decisions, we are not just talking about individuals or the jobs we want them to do; we are talking about the “goodness of fit” between those individuals and their jobs. </p>
<p>The more people feel that their jobs are stimulating, rewarding and challenging, the more they will respond with their best efforts and creativity (they will be satisfied and productive); the more they feel their job is stultifying or beyond their capabilities or interests, the more dissatisfied and unproductive they will be. We need to look for the right “match” between the person and the job.</p>
<p>Like all workers, teleworkers need to be conscientious, but perhaps need, to a greater extent, to be self-reliant and self-motivated. They also need to be disposed towards the different co-worker and supervisory relationships and different communication patterns that off-site work requires. </p>
<p>Telework, of itself and in its different forms, will not suit all workers equally. It behoves us to ensure that we use our insights to get a match between the right person and the right teleworking job.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/10682/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>No conflicts of interest.</span></em></p>At yesterday’s Telework Conference at Melbourne Unversity, Prime Minister Julia Gillard — who delivered a speech via videolink — committed to a target of 12% of Commonwealth public servants working from…David Lamond, Adjunct Professor of HRM & International Business, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.