The abrupt closure of many offices and workplaces at the start of the coronavirus pandemic ushered in a new era of remote work for millions of employed Americans, one that may portend a significant shift in the way a large segment of the workforce operates. Employers face decisions about when and how to return to office spaces, and how to consider the physical safety and emotional satisfaction of their workforce.

A Pew Research Center report from February 2021 addresses questions about the future of workincluding concerns about inequality and the hope that changes spawned by the pandemic will improve conditions for many employees through more flexible workplace arrangements. But many workers do not have jobs that can be done remotely, and those workers have faced a different set of challenges during the pandemic. 

This event focuses on the findings from surveys of Americans who have telework-able jobs and how they view the ways in which being out of the office space has affected the culture of work. The discussion features analysis by Pew Research Center Social and Demographic Trends Research Director Kim Parker and Internet and Technology Research Director Lee Rainie, and moderation by LinkedIn News Editor at Large Caroline Fairchild.