About a year ago, as the country entered a state of emergency due to the pandemic, offices shutdown - in some cases, seemingly overnight.
Those who could transfer work to their homes, set up laptops in their dining rooms, living rooms, or areas with some amount of quiet.
For many -- although at first a necessity for safety reasons -- the change has become a preference, with some unexpected benefits, including a steep decline in commuting.
It appears more emphasis on remote work is here to stay. Some research shows productivity actually increased in certain sectors. Among the downsides: Those improvised work spaces may not be designed with ergonomics in mind, leading to physical problems. Some question whether collaborative creativity suffers. And many whose jobs could not go remote have been left behind, widening existing economic divides.
Air date: March 18, 2021
GUESTS:
- Jeff Feingold - Editor of New Hampshire Business Review. Listen to Down to Business NHBR's weekly podcast. In this recent episode, Jeff Feingold discusses PPP tax implications for N.H. businesses with CPA Kevin Kennedy.
- Julia Herbst - Senior Staff Editor overseing the Work Life section of Fast Company. Read her recent articles: "3 Lessons Covid-19 Has Taught Us About Remote Work" and her story on a GitLab, a company that was all-remote before the pandemic, the largest such company in the world, with no physical headquarters and 1,300 employees spread across 67 countries and nearly every time zone.
- Ntate Ncala - Inclusion Advisor in Fidelity Investment's Human Resources group.
- James P. Reidy - Attorney with Sheehan Phinney law firm and chair of its Labor and Employment group.
