Homebased working in a time of crisis and uncertainty

Unlimited broadband, video conferencing tools and remote desktops are just some of the innovations that have made homebased working increasingly common. This technological base meant that, as COVID-19 rapidly became a pandemic, governments pursued a rapid full-time homebased work agenda for their populations. COVID-19 has forced businesses to embrace homebased working at such speed that they have had little opportunity to consider the impact on their workers or to develop the management systems needed to effectively support them.

Such rapid and radical changes in work organisation will likely impact productivity, wellbeing and, potentially, the viability of businesses with forms of social distancing and remote working likely to continue in different forms for months to come. Not everyone has the luxury of the highest quality broadband access or top-of-the-range home computing facilities. Despite progress in homebased working adoption, the division between work and private life, where staff are expected to choose among priorities (e.g. high productivity or children), remains widespread. Such pressures are currently heightened, presenting a signification burden on the effectiveness of homebased working.

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