Page 25 - Green Builder Nov-Dec 2020 Issue

THE STATE OF

SUSTAINABLE

BUILDING 2021

Nice or nightmare? While some people would like to spend the rest of their careers as remote workers,
others become stressed out after a few months. CREDIT: KRAPHIX ISTOCK

operator The Zillow Group, many of the after being abruptly forced to work from
suburban transplants will be renters who home full time this year, a lot of people have
have a chance to nally buy a home. Zillow discovered they don’t like it nearly as much
economist Je Tucker says that could mean as they thought they would.”
a housing market that includes almost 2 mil- An ongoing study by the IBM Institute
lion new homeowners within a few years. for Business Value indicates the arrival of
“It’s going to be huge,” he says. “If remote “work from home fatigue.” In July, the per-
work becomes a bona de long-term option, centage of Americans who indicated that
especially with the pandemic, that could they would like to continue remotely even
reshape the U.S. housing market.” part time sat at 80 percent. By September,
that optimism had dropped to 67 percent.
NOT-SO-BRIGHT In addition, only 50 percent reported they
TELECOMMUTING MOMENTS wanted to primarily work remotely, down
But remote working is not without its from 65 percent two months earlier, accord-
drawbacks. Telecommuters report feel- ing to the study.‡
ings of loneliness and being “disconnected” The bottom line is that telecommuting,
from their coworkers. They often end up and its pros and cons, are here to stay.
working longer hours than they might if “COVID-19 may permanently change the
they were still in the o‚ce. There’s a lack of way many of us work,” Brookings coauthors
privacy, as many employees’ homes weren’t Guyot and Sawhill note. “At present, shifting
designed for on-demand videoconferenc- as many people as possible to home-based
ing and all-day laptop use. There are even telework is a necessary response to a terrible
career concerns, as being o site means crisis. In the post-pandemic world, it may
not being seen by the boss when doing stay with us as a popular practice.”
something exceptional—which could Architect David Hart, CEO of Steinberg
mean missed promotions, or possible job Hart in San Francisco, agrees. “The renewed
elimination. emphasis on dedicated home o‚ces will
“We traditionally tend to‡think of working persist even as the pandemic passes,” he
from home as a perk,” notes work advice predicted in Bloomberg CityLab. “Now that
writer Allison Green in Slate. “You can do millions have gotten a tantalizing taste of
your laundry while you work. You can stay life without daily commuting, we’ll insist
in pajamas and control your own thermo- on keeping one foot of our laboring lives in
stat. You can take the dog for a walk. But our homes.” GB

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