Remote Work: The Gap Between Aspiration and Reality
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Current events of national and international importance, Social Development.
Mains:
GS Paper 1 (Indian Society): Role of women and women's organization, population and associated issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies. Effects of globalization on Indian society.
GS Paper 2 (Social Justice): Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
GS Paper 3 (Indian Economy): Indian Economy and issues relating to employment.
Key Highlights from the News
Globally, workers desire to remote work, but only a few can actually do so.
According to the "Global Survey of Working Arrangements," countries like the US, UK, and Canada average 1.6 days of remote work per week, while in Asia, it's only 1.1 days.
The main reasons for this lower trend in Asia are the culture of 'presenteeism,' which values physical presence in the office, and poor internet and inadequate housing facilities.
Gender is also a significant factor. More women (especially mothers) wish to work from home than men. They see it as a way of balancing paid work with care-giving.
This raises the question of whether it's a sign of women's empowerment or due to the burden of unequal domestic responsibilities.
After the COVID era, men without family responsibilities also desire remote work because they are unwilling to give up the autonomy they experienced.
However, many employers are ending remote work due to concerns like reduced team spirit and lack of innovation.
Studies indicate that working from home can lead to physical (back pain, headaches) and mental (isolation, burnout) health problems.
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