As I write this, many governments around the world, and many states and cities around our country, are effectively declaring an “end” to the COVID-19 pandemic. I say “end” because it’s clear that COVID-19 will never be gone — instead, we are told that it will be something that we’ll have to learn to live and work with permanently. Our lives have been altered permanently by COVID, and one of the biggest changes is work from home (WFH).
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in December that 11% of workers are still telecommuting, and while this might seem small, it represents over 17 million workers. Indeed is also reporting that about 9% of open job postings are for remote work, which is a 300% increase from 2019. Other experts are reporting that on a permanent basis: 10-20% of work will be 100% remote, 10-20% of work will be 100% in-office, and the rest will be hybrid. In the home services industry, working from home isn’t a reality for most of our positions … we work “in” the home, not “at” home.