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Is remote work making you lonely?
The solution isn’t an office job, though
Anna Codrea-Rado
October 10, 2023
Welcome to Borderless. Every week, we handpick the best links on digital nomads, remote work and global mobility to help you navigate the quirks of living and working on the internet.
The debate over remote work is heating up.
On one side, the back-to-the-office crowd argues that in-person collaboration is essential for creativity and innovation. On the other hand, remote advocates say that employees are more productive and happier when they can work from anywhere.
No prizes for guessing which side of the argument SafetyWing, an all-remote company with a team spanning 60 countries, falls 😜.
Recent moves by tech giants to bring workers back to the office have created a lot of noise about the end of remote work, but the reality is more complex.
The stories in this week’s issue will help you hedge your bets on how the future of work might play out. We have a breakdown of where in the world people are back in the office, tips for what to do if remote work is making you lonely (spoiler alert: you don’t have to find an office job) and a radical idea for fixing tech’s biggest problems.
Wherever you are in the world right now, have a joyful and productive week.
Remote employers are winning the war for talent, hiring twice as many people as full-time office-based companies. The results are far from surprising. Survey after survey finds what we all know to be true: that workers value flexibility just as highly as compensation.
Alicia Adamczyk for Fortune
Remote work can be lonely, but ditching it for an office job isn't necessarily the answer. Loneliness is unique to each person, so figure out what you need to address it in your own work environment. It might be as simple as meeting up with a regular IRL lunch buddy.
Octavia Goredema for Harvard Business Review
Goa, known for its golden beaches and chill vibes, is fast becoming a tech hub thanks to an influx of nomads. Startups have created 31% more jobs in the last two years, but local Goans worry about being priced out of paradise. The global gentrification problem continues.
Sanghamitra Kar P for Rest of World
Portugal potentially just became less friendly to digital nomads, as the country plans to end its foreign tax breaks. Citing an inflated housing market, Portugal’s prime minister António Costa announced the scheme, known as Non-Habitual Resident, will close in 2024. He said it was a “fiscal injustice that is no longer justified”.
Catarina Demony for Reuters
Remote work patterns vary by country, with the US and UK leading the way. Asia has the lowest levels, with South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan working remotely less than three days a month. How and where you work depends on factors like city density, home size, and cultural norms.
The New York Times
Tech workers face a new ethical question: What if your work deepens inequality? The Collective Action School teaches critical thinking about technology's impact on the world. At a time when scandals and layoffs highlight Big Tech's failings, the school feels more relevant than ever.
Patrick Sisson for MIT Technology Review
🗳️ Poll: Is remote work making you lonely?Share your thoughts 👇 |