Working at home
[ch 2: page 33]One likely long-term or permanent change to working practices for many office-based workers is more homeworking, either full-time or at significantly increased levels. Some employers may only require attendance at the office for a specific reason, or at specific times, staggered to reduce infection risk.
Any shift to long-term home-working requires proper consultation. For most employees, this is likely to involve a change to a core contract term — work location — and should be by agreement (see Chapter 1).
There are also significant equality issues. This kind of change should not be mandatory for everyone. Many will lack the necessary space and quiet, while others will miss the social purpose of work. Young workers in particular need opportunities to learn and develop. Women are also in danger of increased sex inequality. Researchers have already highlighted how during lockdown, they took on the bulk of childcare, relative to their male counterparts.