In the ongoing, heated debate about the costs and benefits of remote work, a pivotal advantage often goes underappreciated. The ability to quickly transition a workforce to remote work when necessary provides firms with an important form of flexibility — akin to an insurance policy. And that sort of flexibility will only become more critical in a warming world, where extreme weather is (sadly) becoming more common.
Your Company Will Need Remote Work as Extreme Weather Gets Worse
Climate disasters are only going to become more common — and more destructive. Companies need to prepare now.
November 15, 2023
HBR Staff/Pexels
Summary.
Remote-work-readiness is an important form of flexibility that companies need to consider. The Covid-19 pandemic made this clear, but research shows that it is true of other forms of unexpected disruptions, too. Extreme weather events are harder on companies that aren’t able or prepared to work from home. As those events become more frequent, the ability to work remotely will become more important.