The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the existing transition to remote work and, more broadly, flexible forms of work. Much energy and attention have been dedicated to analysing this transition and how governments and other actors can best respond to it. This chapter takes a step back and analyses the potential impacts of the transition to remote work on our individual and collective identities. Recognising that work is an important part of who we are and has historically been a microcosm and a catalyst of broader social change, this chapter analyses how remote work challenges gender roles, contemporary family structures, and our conceptualisation of the relationship between work and other commitments. The chapter admittedly offers more questions than it does answers. It complexifies our understanding of remote work and seeks to spark future discussions as to its consequences.
TopIntroduction
Work is one of the most fundamental aspects in a person’s life, providing the individual with a means of financial support and, as importantly, a contributory role in society. A person’s employment is an essential component of his or her sense of identity, self-worth and emotional well-being.
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Work is an important part of who we are. We work in different ways and for different reasons (Knetz, 2016; Rosso et al., 2010). Many of us work to earn a living, to provide for ourselves and for those we love. Others work to contribute, to make a difference in the lives of those whose path they cross through their work. Yet others seek the apex in their profession as an intrinsically important aspiration, which defines their identity. Of course, these broad idea(l)s are neither exhaustive nor mutually exclusive. And regardless of our motivation, what we do for a sizeable portion of our days is bound to be an important part of who we are. It can provide us with a sense of belonging and contribution. As we earn a living and pay taxes, we also contribute to the shared aspirations of the society we form a part of. Work helps shape who we are, and the meaning we derive from life.
Over time, work has been both a microcosm1 and a catalyst of broader social change. As a key part of who we are, it has witnessed and exemplified the struggles which have shaped our collective and individual identities. Work has also been a locus of these struggles. The various facets of work are intimately intertwined with broader social issues. Over time, much of the nature of work has changed: who works, who employs, how work is valued and remunerated, and how work is performed.
For millennia, human beings could be owned, sold and bought chiefly on the basis of the labour they could provide (Drescher, 2009). Just two centuries ago in the United States, the colour of one’s skin still dictated whether one was free or owned, and whether one could reap the benefits of one’s own labour (Berlin, 2015). More recently, work has been a significant locus in the transformation of the role of women in developed countries. Having fought for the right to vote and own property (which they could formerly only do through their spouse), women sought the possibility to enter the workforce and benefit from the same opportunities as men (Kirk, 1995; Lebsock, 1977; Punnett, 2016). Though this fight continues to this day, it has redefined the nature of work and of the workplace, and has been a significant driver of economic growth (S&P Global, 2017; Weinstein, 2018).
Today, the COVID-19 pandemic stands to permanently yet again redefine the nature of work. As we faced a generational public health threat, the only effective solution seemed to be broad lockdowns: the immediate and indefinite shutdown of broad sections of the economy (Lord, 2020a, p. 2). With these shutdowns, billions of people have had to work from home (Lord, in press). As we slowly emerge from the severest lockdown period, many companies have significantly expanded their remote work policies, allowing remote work through 2020 and beyond. The pandemic will therefore accelerate the existing transition to remote work and, more broadly, to more flexible forms of work.