The OECD has released a report which concludes that the overall impact of working from home (WFH) on productivity during the COVID-19 pandemic remains “ambiguous”.
However, the IMF warns that long-term productivity growth and workers’ efficiency may be negatively affected if companies continue to rely too much on telecommuting when the health crisis abates. The OECD also notes that there is evidence to suggest that innovation is fostered by working in an office environment, and believes that WFH should be voluntary:
Too much telework could decrease worker efficiency and long-term productivity growth because of the reduction of in-person communication for complex tasks and innovation, the report says.
