Remote work in the United States: a micro-survey on organizational transformation after Covid-19

At the beginning of 2020, the United States introduced several severe restrictions on mobility due to the unexpected outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the United States suffered fewer negative economic consequences from the lockdown than other developed countries. Among other factors, this outcome might depend on the capability of people and organizations to move part of their work-related activities from offices to homes. In this paper, within the Socio-Technical System perspective, we provide the results of a micro-survey exploring the adaptability of American workers and organizations to the context of involuntary remote work during the pandemic phase. The main results show that, in the fall of 2021, one-third of American employees could benefit from place or time flexibility at work. Furthermore, in the same period, about one-half of American organizations established a head of remote work managing and coordinating remote workers. Through these preliminary data we show that new roles, work-life balance policies, and psychological support services are good drivers – at policy level as well – for structuralizing remote work in the long run.