Coronavirus is proving what we already know: People can work from home

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If you’ve been paying attention to the news in the past few weeks, you’ve likely seen the reports about companies turning to telecommuting wherever possible. Meaning that employees are working from home, rather than being physically present in the office. For many U.S. companies this is new — except that it isn’t. The Harvard review reported in 2019 that alternative working arrangements — meaning working arrangements where employees were not necessarily in the office 100% of the time — were growing faster than traditional jobs.

The recent need for social distancing to halt the spread of the COVID-19 virus is highlighting this employment trend like never before. Companies in the hardest hit areas in the U.S. have been announcing plans for telecommuting over the past few months. Amazon, which has a large presence in the Seattle area, has been encouraging its employees to work from home where possible.

work from home
Statement from Amazon’s COVID-19 blog: How we are supporting our employees, customers, and communities