According to an MIT study, businesses are unprepared for work-from-home regulations. The COVID-19 pandemic increased the demand for remote work, but a lack of regulations has resulted in inconsistent policies and practices across industries and organizations.
According to the MIT study, many companies lack clear policies for remote work, such as guidelines for hours worked or reimbursement for expenses. Employees who struggle to balance work and personal life without clear boundaries may experience burnout. Furthermore, because of the increased flexibility and cost savings of remote work, employers no longer have the same level of control over the safety and stability of their employees’ work environments that they once did. Employees may also find it more difficult to separate their work and personal lives.
Furthermore, there is concern that remote work may lead to decreased collaboration and communication among team members, negatively impacting innovation and productivity. With new data indicating that remote work could save businesses up to $10,600 per employee per year and major employers such as 3M, SAP, and Spotify committing to making remote work programs permanent, the trend appears to be here to stay.
These concerns have resulted in a surge of new regulatory developments aimed at ensuring that remote workers, home workers, and teleworkers are protected under existing environmental, health, and safety legislation and guidelines, and that employers are not violating labor laws.
According to the study, businesses should begin developing clear policies and guidelines for remote work, including policies for cybersecurity and data protection. Companies should also invest in technology and training to ensure that their employees are capable of working remotely.
The sources for this piece include an article in SloanReview.