Elon Musk recently criticized remote work, calling it a “fake” practice that is immorally spreading among the “laptop classes.” Musk and other C.E.O.s are worried that workers’ reluctance to return to the office will harm local economies.
But the problem isn’t the office itself. It’s the commute.
Several surveys have proven that a daily commute is time-consuming, emotionally taxing, environmentally harmful, and expensive – so if companies want employees back at the office, they must take steps to address this. In 2019, the average commute time hit a record of 28 minutes, and almost 10% of Americans spent over an hour commuting each way to work. Offering workers better office amenities won’t change their minds – they’ve seen the benefits of remote work firsthand, including 60 million more hours per day that Americans get to spend working, exercising, caring for their children, sleeping, and starting work early or ending it late.
Studies have also shown that working from home doesn’t reduce productivity, with no significant effect on workers’ productivity at a large tech company and even improving it for those with hybrid work arrangements (who can work both at home and a job site). Job satisfaction is higher when employees have more control over their work/life balance.
However, remote work may negatively impact cities and their economies, disrupt the office real estate market, worsen public transportation systems (which many people rely on for commuting), and affect local, state, and national governments’ policies. To offset these risks, governments could encourage commuting solutions that involve reducing the distances between home and work, improving transportation, and providing accessible and affordable child care.
Some futuristic solutions suggested by Musk, such as underground freeways and self-driving taxis, may not be more desirable or realistic than better public transit, denser development, and improved social safety nets. Remote work is not a “fake” or immoral practice, but a paradigm shift that we need to address through infrastructure and policy changes.
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