Revisiting Wired to the World, Chained to the Home: Telework in Daily Life

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated widespread remote work options. Reflecting on research from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s on telework and home-based employment that culminated in a 2001 book, Wired to the World, Chained to the Home: Telework in Daily Life, the author reviews what has and has not changed in the experience of remote workers in their homes and communities as they navigate their work and domestic responsibilities. While there are many positive bene fits to remote work, there are still difficulties in balancing home and work life. Social policies are needed that allow more options to fulfil work and household responsibilities, and an integrated approach to the planning of homes, workplaces, and communities.