How Work-From-Home Culture Has Amplified Inequalities

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Thirty percent of executives predict the need for less brick-and-mortar workspace moving forward, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of the work-from-home employee. As of April 2020, at least 20 percent of individuals were working from home, according to one poll. A surprising four percent are able to work from home but choose not to. That could be because some people want the in-person engagement of working in an office, But then there are those who simply cannot work from home in order to do their jobs and are going to a physical space to work, whether they want to or not.

The work situations of Americans right now are certainly varied and shifting. Along with the many other unforeseen consequences of the pandemic is the fact that remote-working is amplifying other issues. A butterfly effect was set into place when many jobs had to move to remote locations, and when other jobs were simply eliminated because of COVID-19. Trends and patterns that were already taking place in the workforce became accelerated, and one of those is inequality: financial, racial, educational, and gender inequality. Think of the resources and equipment required for a work-from-home job. Think of the types of jobs that offer this option, and the ones for which it’s impossible. The gap between certain groups is growing rapidly now. Here’s why.

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High-paid jobs were already distanced

When we take a look at who is able to work from home we see that it’s those who were already making large salaries. The high-paid jobs were already distanced. Executive-level positions rarely need to be done at any specific location. Most professions that can easily be done remotely or virtually are professions that pay better than those that must be done in-person. That means the already-rich are the ones keeping their jobs.