Working from Home is now part of American Life

The fix is in. Working from home is now part of American life and it’s not going away when COVID-19 vaccinations have been given to most of the population.

A neighbor of mine who does video editing no longer drives 30 miles to work. He does his job on-line. Unless his employer demands he drive to the office he will continue to work at home after the virus is gone. For him it means ending his one hour drive each way and reduced ware and tear on his car.

The working from home idea is not new. Even before COVID-19 became a factor, increasing numbers of people have been saying goodbye to their onerous commute to work. Thanks to ever-evolving technologies like Skype, Facetime, Slack, Zoom, Google Hangouts, authenticator apps, and cloud computing—not to mention texting and email—it’s no longer necessary to be in an office full-time to be a productive member of the team. In fact, many kinds of work can be done just as effectively, if not more so, from a home office.

“Consumer Brands Bet Working From Home Is Here to Stay,” by Annie Gasparro and Sharon Terlep: “Consumer-product companies are expanding factories and revamping production lines, wagering that work-from-home habits like growing beards and fixing quick lunches will outlast the coronavirus pandemic. Millions of Americans spent much of the year working from home. While legions of employers are planning to reopen their offices, many have said they would let employees continue working remotely some or all of the time once the pandemic subsides.

“As a result, many food-and-consumer-products companies are investing in factories, equipment and brands to provide more of those items for years to come, seeking to accommodate consumers who are making more coffee, buying more casual clothes and tending beards with trimmers and balm rather than shaving them off.

“Conagra Brands Inc. and Kraft Heinz Co. are buying and upgrading equipment to make more at-home lunch foods. General Mills Inc. has added a manufacturing line for Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal at a Georgia factory, which the company said is one of its most expensive capital projects ever. Kimberly-Clark Corp. is converting a plant to make toilet paper for homes instead of offices, and Procter & Gamble Co. is adding beard-care products in addition to Gillette razors.”

The work at home employees may not need office space at their employer’s office.  That translates to reduced office space needed by businesses.  If those “employees” are paid as contractors rather than “employees” they can claim a deductible of part of their home as a business expense.

What’s not to like? Comradery, friendships, the lack of a feeling that you are part of a team. All other things being equal, an employee who is physically in an office constructively communicating in person with colleagues and supervisors is better positioned to get a promotion, raise, or new opportunity than one who opts to remain in the comforts of their home.

That’s life in 2021 and beyond.