When Twitter and Facebook announced new, indefinite “work from home” policies this spring, some were quick to hail it as a great advance. The response to this vast Covid-induced experiment has been largely positive, with early remote-work adopters winning employee praise for their foresight. But is this celebration premature? Taken to its natural conclusion, the acceleration of remote-work policies could have a far-reaching—and ultimately negative—effect on American workers.
Nationwide Insurance proclaimed that the recent Covid-19 shutdowns proved that it could meet the demands of its customers with 98 percent of its employees working remotely. It has now committed to closing some of its smaller regional locations in areas such as Florida, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina, with plans to increase the permanent remote workforce to 50 percent of the company total.
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