2. Is remote working a good thing for workers?

Preliminary findings of the Covid-19 and working from home survey released by the Scottish TUC revealed a very mixed picture of people’s experiences, with winners and losers over the past year.

STUC general secretary Roz Foyer said: “The experiences of working from home and attitudes toward future homeworking are very varied. Significant numbers of workers have experienced work intensification and stress over the past year, yet for many others the overall experience has been positive.”

She warned against blanket changes to work arrangements or sweeping office closures.

“A key conclusion is that many workers are positive about some degree of future homeworking, but this must be optional, flexible and only undertaken through negotiation. Millions of workers were not initially employed to work from home and have a right to resist imposed changes. There has never been a more important time for these workers to join a union.”

The study emphasises that employers will need to accommodate, and unions will have to represent, multiple, often contrasting, worker interests and preferences.

So while homeworking can offer great advantages to workers, there are also potential disadvantages which should be considered before decisions are made on whether workers want to do it. This section looks at both pros and cons.