On remote work

17 May 2020

I think the remote work shift started by coronavirus will stick.

Working from home is better than working from an office.

You don’t have to drive, take public transportation, put on shoes, or put on uncomfortable clothing. You don’t have to put up with any annoying coworkers. You can lay down and take a nap without fear of judgement. If you need a break, you can relax without fear of being seen as slacking off. There’s less temptation to eat out.

All these factors save time and money. You have less to worry about in a day. You can get more done.

Benefits are sticky. Once you give people something it’s very difficult to take it away. Once the pandemic ends employers will have a hard time people come back to an office after allowing them to work remotely.

A good thing about this crisis is it provides an opportunity to see what’s important to us. We have fewer distractions pulling us in all directions. Creating stuff that people want is important. An office? Not important. I think this realization will make remote work normal for more people.