Is remote working the future of work?

The Covid-19 epidemic has forced many Asian companies to work remotely. However, a small but growing number of tech companies which are intentionally going 'all-remote' may well be harbingers of the future of work.

Published Thu, Feb 20, 2020 · 09:50 PM

Remote working

THE workplace is rapidly becoming a more flexible construct. In the United Kingdom, for example, more than 1.5 million people work from home full-time, nearly twice as many as 10 years ago. Up to 70 per cent of global professionals telecommute at least once day a week, according to a 2018 report.

Researchers have linked the decentralisation of work to higher job satisfaction, productivity and organisational commitment - as well as decreased stress levels and exhaustion. Moreover, it is wildly popular with employees.

A 2017 study found that job applicants were willing to accept 8 per cent lower wages if promised a work-from-home arrangement.

The centrifugal tide sweeping through corporate offices is unlikely to roll back anytime soon. "Epidemics like Covid-19, rising real estate prices in urban clusters and visa restrictions in a de-globalising world may all make remote collaboration more valua…