How is work-from-home working out?

One of the biggest questions Americans have when it comes to physically getting back into the workplace, is it safe?

“If you can’t provide me with a 100% assurance that I am [not] going to get sick by coming back, then why would I come back?” said David Lewis, founder and CEO of Operations Inc.

Along with that, in many ways working from home seems to be working relatively well.

“It should become the new normal […] It works, productivity goes up, less absenteeism, healthier workforce, better work-life balance, money saved by the employer. Why the heck wouldn’t you keep doing it?” said Moe Vela, Chief Transparency Officer of TransparentBusiness.

Many work-from-home employees also wonder about privacy as a work-home life can begin to blur.

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“I’ve heard of some companies that require that employees keep their webcam on their office PC on,” said Jonathan Stone, CTO of Kelser Corporation.

Kelser Corporation is a technology consulting firm supporting IT for local companies and nonprofits like the Great Boston Food Bank.

Stone is ‘zoomed’ in on how work inside home offices is getting done.

“If someone needs to interact with you just like they knock on your office door, they ask if they can chat on video. So you are right there, in you go,” said Stone.

When it comes to privacy rights at home, attorney Richard Roth said if you are working on company property, it can be limited.

“Employers do have a right to look, I want to have someone come look at your laptop to see what you were doing today, and if you were going and looking for furniture to buy, they’re going to know,” said Roth, Owner of the Roth Law Firm.

There could be a simple solution.

“The big obvious takeaway is, well, how do we know that people are doing work?” asked Boston 25 News’ Scott McDonnell.

“It’s very important in a remote workforce model that the trust bond between employer and employee and vice versa remains intact and sustainable,” Vela said.

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