ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the effects of the location of work on employees. After all, working at home has often been promoted and sought by employees as a means of readjusting their work–life balance and raising their well-being. However, some employees find that bringing work into the home makes it more difficult to draw these boundaries, especially in certain circumstances. These include: when employees are told to work at home because of a national health emergency; when space at home is limited and used by other household members; and/or when homeworking jobs are the only ones available. Other issues may also arise. Those working off-site may: get overlooked for promotion; have fewer opportunities to engage in training and development; work in less safe environments with poorer equipment; and suffer from lengthening working days and more intensive working hours. This chapter reviews the evidence along with some of the most notable policy responses. High on this list is the debate around the right to disconnect. This gives public recognition that the ‘always on’ culture makes drawing the line between home and work increasingly difficult, even when office employees are no longer required to be physically present in the office.
