2024 Theses Master's

Understanding remote work in the post-pandemic world: An exploration of lived experiences. How remote work is shaping our quotidian and how it can shape our cities

Padilla García, Raquel Edith

This work presents an analysis of the role that remote work has played in people's lives, particularly after the acceleration in its adoption during the Covid-19 pandemic. The study results from the fact that all research done on remote work failed to include the voices of remote workers, focusing instead on the analysis of labor and market statistics, data-based simulations, or the discussion of managerial techniques. This project approached the topic using qualitative methods, namely an online survey and focus groups. Using this methodology, experiences from remote workers were collected and analyzed.

Due to the nature of the topic, the study was carried out on a global scale taking advantage of the same tools used by remote workers, i.e. Information and Telecommunication Technologies (ICTs). The results show consensus on a positive perception of remote work, being the flexibility that this provides the most appreciated attribute. Remote work has particularly expanded possibilities for women with children, and people with limited mobility, facilitating their access to services and helping them to enter or remain in the job market. This study can serve as a base for further analysis on remote work and its impact on people's lives, particularly the effects that it has in people's well-being, career progression, and mobility and residential choices.