Home games in the Hub
Popularity of telecommuting could bring long-term changes
This working from home routine is growing on people.
The Pioneer Institute surveyed 700 people — most in Greater Boston — during the coronavirus pandemic and nearly 63% said they want to stick at home at least one day a week permanently.
That, says the think tank, will be a major factor on how companies invest in commercial real estate and how the state should deliver public transportation where — and when — it’s needed.
“The survey results suggest that the pandemic may lead to significant shifts in attitudes toward commuting, with potentially large impacts on the demand for commercial real estate in major job centers, internet connectivity, and transit and transportation planning and budgeting,” said Andrew Mikula, who authored the analysis.
The survey hits just weeks after the MBTA announced it will likely need to use about a quarter of the $827 million emergency federal funding it received to close a major pandemic-caused revenue gap in this year’s budget.
Ridership on the T is down more than 90% on the subway and 80% on buses — with nobody sure what the new normal will look like.
“The MBTA and state agencies have existing relationships with riders and commuters, and they must act now to engage their customers in order to determine changes in demand resulting from the pandemic,” said Pioneer Institute Executive Director Jim Stergios.
“The survey suggests that people’s attitudes are evolving quickly and in a way that is distinct from past routines,” Stergios added. “The result may be a seismic shift in ridership patterns and even a significant change in how and where employers seek talent.”
As for the office parks and skyscrapers, Gov. Charlie Baker and Mayor Martin Walsh have announced, as part of the slow opening of the economy, that only 25% of the workforce can return to offices beginning this week statewide and June 1 in Boston.
How many can return in Phase 2 of the state’s reopening plan will be based on coronavirus infection rates, that are now on a downward trajectory.
Those taking the Pioneer poll conducted between April 22 and May 15, said they won’t miss the traffic jams — with 48% citing the commute as a reason to telecommute. Many also said they’d be willing to work from home two or three days a week.
Respondents did cite social isolation as the biggest drawback of remote work, with more than 50% saying they “miss social interactions.”
In the short term, the survey indicates that employees are largely willing to return to the workplace upon request, even before a COVID-19 vaccine is available.
The long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will likely depend on three factors, Pioneer said: employer policies that seek to expand or rein in remote work, public policies, and employee sentiment.