Transforming offices

Working from a distance and working at home are not new phenomena, it has been known and practiced in many years in some types of working places. However, the occurrence of this type of work has increased, not least due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Also, new technology and new tools that allow people to work remotely, is one of the reasons for an increase in this type of work. Currently, there are different definitions of these different kinds of concepts, but here we use definitions given from ILO in 2020. You can read more about these definitions here: Telework definitions

Remote work

Situations where the work is fully or partly carried out on an alternative worksite other than the default place of work. Remote work can be performed in a variety of possible locations.

Telework

The work is fully or partly carried out at an alternative location other than the default place of work. This criterion is based on the previous definition of remote work. In addition, it includes the use of personal electronic devices such as a computer, tablet or telephone (mobile or landline) to perform the work.

Work at home

Work at home refers to work that takes place fully or partly within the worker’s own residence. The physical location where all or some of the work is carried out is thus the worker’s own home.

Combinations and overlap of worktypes

The definitions above are sometimes difficult to separate from each other, and there is often overlap between them, as you can see from the figure below.

To the left you see types of work carried out in a location alternative to the default place of work, while on the right side you see work carried out in the default place of work.

^{© ILO note 5 June 2020}

Challenges for the work place

Most rules and regulations in the working life depend on a clear definition of what and where the workplace is. This is no longer the situation, and it brings both positive and negative consequences. We do not know the size and effect of these consequences yet, but some suggestions are written here:

Positive: Flexible work schedule, reducing time loss caused by commuting, improving digital skills, increased productivity, climate friendly.

Negative: Work-life balance can be difficult, lack of communication with employees, lack of team work, lonely employees.

Challenges for the inspectors

These days, the worker can perform the work at the most unexpected places. This is also a challenge for the labour inspectorates. Where is the work place to inspect? Which working conditions are we talking about? We clearly need to develop new methods for evaluation of the workplaces.