Carolyn Vigil, a veteran of the Big Tech industry, has faced the challenge of balancing her career with the responsibility of caring for her 23-year-old autistic son, Jax. While this delicate juggling act has never been easy, Vigil managed to navigate it with grace, even assuming the role of teacher when the pandemic forced schools to close. Despite the difficulties, she never gave up on her job, thanks to the flexibility of working remotely from home.
The reason Vigil has continued to work remotely is primarily due to her son’s need for ongoing assistance with daily tasks, such as medication management, diet and exercise, and transportation to medical appointments. However, her company’s recent decision to require employees to return to the office has caused her distress.
Predicting the future of remote work is a complex task. On one hand, many American workers have embraced remote work and desire even more flexibility in the future. However, there is a growing chorus of employers advocating for a return to the office. Companies like Apple, Disney, AT&T, JPMorgan Chase, and many others have rolled back their remote-work policies. Even Zoom, whose technology facilitates remote work, has announced a partial return to the office for its employees.
This shift in sentiment reflects concerns expressed by executives and managers, supported by recent research indicating that remote work may negatively impact productivity. Studies have found that remote workers in India were 18 percent less productive than their in-office counterparts, and fully remote workers were about 10 percent less productive. Hybrid work arrangements, however, did not significantly affect productivity.
While remote work is often associated with improved quality of life and work-life balance, it also highlights the unpaid caregiving responsibilities shouldered by individuals like Carolyn Vigil. These caregivers play a vital yet often overlooked role in our economy, providing care for young, sick, elderly, and disabled individuals. For many caregivers, telecommuting allows them to manage an overwhelming workload. Remote work, therefore, goes beyond work-life balance; it is about achieving work-work balance.
Traditional economic indicators, such as GDP, fail to capture the value of household production and unpaid caregiving. As a result, the true extent of this crucial economic contribution remains hidden. When caregivers like Vigil leave their jobs to provide full-time care, they are considered economically inactive. This oversight skews our understanding of the economy and overlooks the economic contributions made within homes.
The incomplete data on unpaid work also hindered our understanding of the impact of school closures on the labor market, particularly for mothers. It wasn’t until later in the pandemic that it became clear the risk of mothers exiting the workforce due to increased childcare responsibilities had been overstated. By neglecting the economic activity within homes, we fail to tell the comprehensive story of the economy.
Our measurements, or lack thereof, of the economy shape policy-making and reflect our values. When domestic work is excluded from economic indicators, policies that support caregiving are undervalued. This skewed perspective even impacts the debate on remote work, as the focus remains on its alleged impact on traditional productivity, rather than recognizing the work it enables.
One of the most significant benefits of remote work is the time saved by eliminating commuting. This extra time can be dedicated to work, as well as caregiving responsibilities, particularly for individuals with children under 14. For Sarah White, not having to commute allows her to manage her son’s medical needs more efficiently. With her son’s school just three blocks away from her home, midday medical appointments are a breeze. She can easily drop him off at school, take him to appointments, and return him to school without disruption. Additionally, she can utilize downtime throughout her day to attend to household tasks that are conveniently located near her office.
While employers may frown upon employees multitasking with household chores while on the job, it’s important to note that working in an office also involves downtime, albeit with limited options for its use. Without the opportunity to complete household tasks during breaks, employees may find themselves engaging in less productive activities, such as casual conversations or browsing social media.
Research supports the notion that employees working from home are more productive overall. A survey conducted in June found that remote workers reported fewer distractions, higher job satisfaction, and increased productivity compared to their office counterparts.
In conclusion, remote work represents not only a pursuit of work-life balance but also a means to achieve work-work balance by accommodating the caregiving responsibilities that are often undervalued in our economy. It is important to recognize the economic contributions of caregivers and incorporate a more comprehensive understanding of work into our measurements and policies.
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