The coronavirus pandemic forced work back into the home on a massive scale. The long-held belief that work and home are separate spheres of economic life was turned on its head overnight.
Many employees were new to this way of working and many employers had to manage a disparate workforce for the first time. This book reviews what impact this shift had on the lives of millions of employees, the organisations which employ them and the societies in which they live. It also looks to a future in which more work is carried out remotely – at home, in the local café, restaurant or bar, or while moving from place to place. The book syntheses the existing evidence in an accessible and easy-to-read way.
It will appeal to all those who want a quick and concise introduction to the major themes associated with remote and hybrid working. This will include teachers, lecturers, students, academics and policy-makers as well as those who have experienced the challenges and benefits of homeworking first-hand.
1: Setting the Scene 2: Defining Remote 3: Trends in Remote 4: Remote Working and the Employer 5: Remote Working and the Employee 6: The Future of Remote Working
Biography
Alan Felstead is Research Professor at the School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University, UK.
"Of all the changes that COVID-19 has demanded, the rise of remote working is among the most likely to stick long term. This excellent book gives an accessible yet thoroughly research-based account of the key issues – from the historical development of remote working, to the forms it takes (including hybrid working) and the implications for people management and quality of working life". Jonny Gifford, Senior Advisor for Organisational Behaviour, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
"The author’s 25 years of seminal scholarship on homeworking gives credibility and authority to his reflections on the nature of remote working in the post-pandemic era. This is a concise and essential book for researchers, employers and remote-working employees". Brendan Burchell, Professor of Sociology, University of Cambridge, UK
"This book offers an excellent resource for those researching or interested in learning more about remote and hybrid working. With relevance to academics, practitioners, policy-makers and students, this book provides important insights into historical and current trends, impacts for employees and employers, and the potential future of work. In the spirit of hybrid working don’t just buy one copy of this book, buy two, one for when you are working at the office and one for when you are working at home!" Dan Wheatley, Reader in Business and Labour Economics, University of Birmingham, UK
"This is an excellent exposition of the history, present and future of remote working based on robust research evidence. A must read for anyone interested in how the changing location of work affects our lives". Ying Zhou, Professor of Human Resource Management, University of Surrey, UK
