Counterargument

Re e k i g d f b i e , a d he ld

Em lo e ho ld con in e o enco age emo e o k e en af e he figh again co ona i i o e .

Ifea i M N f

D I M N CEO E AFRIC D P A N H W .

13 M 2020 A

A P , C R , , M 4, 2020

D W C /R

In the last few months, as it

became clear that the rapid

spread of the novel

coronavirus would eventually

overwhelm health services,

governments around the world

started to mandate social

distancing in public places to

protect their citizens.

1 ​Social distancing, which typically involves keeping a certain distance from others and avoiding

large gatherings, is a sound non-pharmaceutical intervention commonly used during epidemics.

It prevents person-to-person transmission of contagions and helps authorities to contain disease

outbreaks.

2 ​A , D 300

P ? C A

I : W COVID-19

3 ​In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries not only mandated basic social

distancing, but also closed down schools, shops and offices, cancelled all conferences and

meetings, and banned domestic and international travel.

4 ​These shutdowns sent economies into meltdown and caused real financial hardship for small

businesses and people in the gig economy in many countries. Some companies, whose workers

are able to work remotely, however, managed to not only continue business as usual amid the

chaos, but increase their employees productivity.

5 ​The success of remote work is no coincidence. ​Studies have shown that ​when it is done right,

remote work can improve employee productivity, creativity and morale. It has also been

established that remote work leads workers to ​take fewer sick days and less vacation time ​,

resulting in more workdays overall. Moreover, it can save businesses thousands of dollars a

month per employee in office and other expenses.

6 ​After being compelled to invest in tools that make remote work easier and more efficient due

to the coronavirus pandemic, and experiencing the benefits of this new work model, many

companies are considering allowing their employees to work from home indefinitely.

7 ​Social media giant Twitter recently announced that it would support employees, who are able

and willing to work from home to do so forever . Many other tech giants, from Facebook to

Google, also said they are planning to support remote work for the foreseeable future .

8 ​The business world s apparent move towards remote work is good news not only for

companies themselves and their employees, but also for the wider society and the environment.

Businesses can help the fight against climate change and protect public health by continuing to

support remote work where possible even after the end of this pandemic.

Big co between small co

5, 6, 7

mention

s that

some

big

compani

es

already

support

working

from

home

forever

9 ​Widespread remote work practices would reduce the number of vehicles on our roads. This

would lead to a drop in greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to climate change. In the

European Union ​, road transportation accounts for 72 percent of total carbon dioxide (CO2)

emissions, while in the ​US​ emissions from all transportation – cars, trucks, trains, ships,

aeroplanes and other vehicles – make up 29 percent.

10 ​The world has already seen an average of a 6 percent drop in greenhouse gases amid the

coronavirus pandemic due to lockdowns and industry shutdowns. While it would be impossible

to keep to this level after the end of the pandemic, remote work can help us hold on to some of

the environmental gains we made during this crisis.

11 ​It is easy to see how fewer cars on our roads could help mitigate the harmful effects of

climate change. This could also mean densely populated cities would be less polluted, residents

would have access to fresher air and children would be less vulnerable to illnesses like

pneumonia.

12 ​With cleaner air, improvements in health can happen fast. As a ​ report​ from the American

Thoracic Society notes, Within a few weeks, respiratory and irritation symptoms, such as

shortness of breath, cough, phlegm, and sore throat, disappear; school absenteeism, clinic

visits, hospitalisations, premature births, cardiovascular illness and death, and all-cause

mortality decrease significantly. Further, eliminating the stress of commuting could lead to ​lower

blood pressure ​ and a decrease in risks associated with cardiovascular diseases such as

hypertension, which, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), causes ​7.5 million

deaths globally every year​.

13 ​Fewer vehicles on roads would also result in fewer traffic accidents. According to the ​Institute

for Health Metrics and Evaluation ​, globally, road traffic crashes was the sixth leading cause of

death in 2017. According to WHO, in 2018 alone, ​1.35 million people ​ around the world lost their

lives in road traffic accidents. On ​average ​, road traffic crashes cause 3,287 deaths per day, and

injure or disable thousands of others. ​Estimates​ by the US Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention show that every year, 3 million people are injured in nonfatal crashes in the US.

Furthermore, medical care costs and productivity losses in the US due to car crashes was

above $75bn in 2017.

9,10,1 1,12

points out that

Every one is

at home and

there are

only a few cars

left, so polluti on is reduc

ed and

diseas es are also

reduc ed

14 ​Remote work would also help reduce some of the disadvantages women have in the

workplace and contribute to maternal and infant health. Many women around the world still do

not have adequate maternity leave, and others choose not to use the maternity leave they have

in full because they cannot survive on the limited maternity pay they receive or are scared of

harming their career prospects by staying away from the office for too long. Many new mothers

who return to work a few months – or even weeks – after giving birth also face a difficult choice

between either giving up on breastfeeding completely or enduring the stresses of pumping milk

in the workplace. Remote work can resolve all these issues. New mothers can return to work in

the comfort of their homes, not endure long commutes before their bodies fully recover, remain

close to their babies even during working hours, and breastfeed or pump comfortably in private.

15 ​It is clear that coronavirus is redefining the future of work and providing a great opportunity

for establishing long-term policies that can increase the health and happiness of employees and

nations, while also helping businesses increase their profits. Remote work can change the world

for the better. All businesses that can should consider allowing their employees to work from

home even after our fight against coronavirus is over.

The ie e p e ed in hi a icle a e he a ho o n and do no nece a il eflec Al

Ja ee a edi o ial ance.

Ifea i M N f D I M N CEO E AFRIC D P A N H W . D I M N , L S T

M , CEO E AFRIC D P A N H

W . I S N V F A I S A

F H E G W U .