Roughly one year into the Covid-19 pandemic and the new era of remote work, disparities regarding which people are able to efficiently do their jobs from home have become pronounced, according to the newly published “Future of Work: Insights for 2021 and Beyond.” produced by the Milken Institute and Infosys.
The report found 93% of women expressing satisfaction with remote work, compared to 88% of men. Access to remote work was defined by wage levels, with 69% of those with an annual income below $50,000 receiving increased remote working opportunities compared to 86% of those making over $75,000 per year.
Among employers, 56% of managers said they were very concerned about their remote employees”™ workspaces, with 36% claiming only to be somewhat concerned. Forty-six percent were very concerned about employee collaboration levels in a remote work environment and 43% were very concerned about maintaining employee morale.
Among employees, most reported having to endure more meetings and greater pressure to demonstrate their continued commitment to their job, including being first to show up for virtual meetings, keeping videos on and emailing after the official conclusion of working hours.
Female respondents were slightly likelier to work longer hours and assume new projects, while their male respondents were more likely to talk about higher workloads and slightly likelier to take additional classes.
“While the full impact of the pandemic remains unknown, it’s clear that the shift towards digitalization has altered the shape, focus, and geographical dispersion of the American workforce,” said Michael Klowden, CEO of the Milken Institute. “This research provides insights into how Americans view these changes. We hope to provide companies with a deeper understanding of the pandemic’s impact on employee sentiment to manage their workforces through stronger and more equitable approaches.”
The report polled 608 managers and 401 employees from U.S.-based companies with at least $1 billion in revenue from October to November 2020.
