Topic: Remote Working and Inequality (Read 963 times)

The current new normal setup is really unfavorable to all because mostly the privilege people are the ones who can do have an access on the resources not just with remote working but as well as into the education system because all have been set up on being reliant into the presence of modern technology on which both remote working and studying lies on the same platform and share the same experience. Even such they were different in purpose, but the approach as well as the way it is being done is the same that is clearly favorable to privilege individuals but we cannot do anything about it for the pandemic is still on and what we can to still continue our recent normal activities is to adapt into the new normal.

The current new normal setup is really unfavorable to all because mostly the privilege people are the ones who can do have an access on the resources not just with remote working but as well as into the education system because all have been set up on being reliant into the presence of modern technology on which both remote working and studying lies on the same platform and share the same experience. Even such they were different in purpose, but the approach as well as the way it is being done is the same that is clearly favorable to privilege individuals but we cannot do anything about it for the pandemic is still on and what we can to still continue our recent normal activities is to adapt into the new normal.

I do not feel like having a wife and kids stops you from working at home. Do you know how many distractions are in an office? We are talking about seriously not even being able to do your work most of the time because there is something going on, at home it is a lot easier.

I have been a freelancer for over 5 years now and I can tell you that I have never been blessed with anything better in my life, I really dream about having this work until I die and hopefully it continues because this is literally the best job I have ever had in my life, it allows me to work on my own hours, it allows me to take a break whenever I want, even if I have regular life stuff like go to doctor or shop at grocery store or whatever regular stuff, I can just continue when I get back, there is nobody at the top telling me to keep working, there is just a work and as long as you do your work nobody says anything about how you do it.

Thanks for this. It is interesting to get opinions from around the world. I do hope that remote working will create more opportunities both within countries and between countries. As you indicate though, simply saying that a job can be performed from anywhere doesn't magically confer equal opportunities around the globe. Many people in certain countries are hampered by poor working conditions and lack of vital equipment such as laptops, and also poor infrastructure, most pertinently unreliable or slow internet connection. So the move towards more remote-working won't magically solve inequality of opportunity, but I do believe and hope that it will at least go some way towards improving job opportunities in poorer countries as well as in poorer regions within rich countries.

If the people of the world turn more freelance or at least remote work, that means a lot more companies will look for remote workers as well, even people from other nations. That will definitely hurt places like USA and UK because they work for a lot of money but places like where I am, we can work for 500 dollars a month and that wouldn't be a bad pay neither, it would be semi-decent.

And looking further, will this then, eventually, lead to greater equality of opportunity across the world, if all you need to work a 'London job' or a 'New York job' is an internet connection and the ability to speak the language?

Many organization put some technology on ground during this pandemic to control their workers to enable them to gain more profit from the customers.

I'm a freelance writer from the asia, we are already working for companies abroad even before the lockdown, same with VA jobs, video editing jobs etc. [...] Here in my country, only a few can manage to work from home too, this is another case, they don't have the resources such as laptop, a silent and safe space, and a personal room. I have a friend who decides going to work during this time even he can work from home cause he can't stand the heat at his own house, he got a big family, and the doesn't own an internet connection.

I depends because when you're home, you can easily mandate that you shouldnt really be disturbed since you have work and family members would easily understand that but there
are really circumstances that you would really need to interact or do make out some response or entertain if it needs to and thats the hassle thing.

Overall im bit confident and comfortable to work on an actual office or workspace since you wouldnt be minding something which things are really just solely good for
your home issues.

It depends though because we need to adapt on whats the current changes at the moment.

For me it is not but it depends on person's character I guess. At home I find it that people don't actually understand that I'm working. They see me at home and casually walk by talking to me or ask me for help or want to know my opinion and distract me all the time. When you're at home there's always something. I have pets so they can demand attention, there's deliveries coming, neighbours, things like that. People know you're home so they come with stuff.

The biggest advantage of working from home is not having to commute. Going to town would take me an hour every day. That's an hour I can spend in bed.

I do not feel like having a wife and kids stops you from working at home. Do you know how many distractions are in an office? We are talking about seriously not even being able to do your work most of the time because there is something going on, at home it is a lot easier.

As freelancers we have felt the inequality long enough already, it is time for other people to start feeling the same way as well.

Normally freelancers depends on how hard they work and how much work they can find, thankfully I am a very very lucky person to have a great job as a freelancer but that doesn't mean there are many freelancers out there who is either not getting paid nearly enough for their work and/or who can't find work, and I am a person who always thinks about betterment of the world and not just individual so just because I am getting paid very well and found a job doesn't change the view that freelancers are usually easily exploited for cheap labor and force to compete. If the world turns into more remote work due to pandemic, I am sure others will finally understand what we have been living through.

Crisis accelerates change. The CV19 lockdown precipitated a shift to remote-working for many people. Now lockdowns are lifting, and governments are keen to get people back into the physical office in order to increase city-centre footfall and ensure that bricks-and-mortar businesses can return to profitability - particularly those small businesses that rely on lunchtime traffic from the office. However, here we hit a problem. Governments want companies (plural) to succeed, and so their focus is on a return to previous ways of working... but individual companies are interested solely in their own (singular) viability and profitability. Individual companies have been hit hard by lockdown, we are seeing a lot of businesses being propped up by short-term government payouts, with the anticipation of large-scale unemployment once those payments inevitably cease. Companies are looking to cut costs, and retaining the current remote-working system offers huge benefits both in the short-term (no requirement to solve the unsolvable problem of getting everyone back into the office whilst still retaining social distancing) and in the longer-term (no need to pay huge city-centre rents and the associated costs of running a large office, insurance, utilities, maintenance, etc).

Many people want to continue to remote-work, companies have noticed that productivity has remained consistent during lockdown, and that continued remote-working offers huge financial savings... perhaps the death knell has been sounded for the culture of presenteeism.

If we can assume that a large amount of the new remote-working due to CV19 will remain remote in the longer-term, then does this help to reduce inequality within societies? The situation applies to many countries, but taking the UK as an example, cost of living in London (and to an extent the wider SE) is considerably higher than in the rest of the country. So with no need for people working for 'London companies' to live within or in close proximity to London, will there be a population shift towards rural and cheaper areas, a sort of reverse brain-drain of people still working 'London jobs' but now living elsewhere in the country? And the other side of this, will it create new job opportunities for people in poorer areas? A young graduate in a poor northern town might previously have been limited in their job opportunities because of a desire to remain in the area (for social or other reasons)... but can now apply for and work a 'city centre' job without leaving the area?

And looking further, will this then, eventually, lead to greater equality of opportunity across the world, if all you need to work a 'London job' or a 'New York job' is an internet connection and the ability to speak the language?

Many people want to continue to remote-work, companies have noticed that productivity has remained consistent during lockdown, and that continued remote-working offers huge financial savings...