The Future is Now: The new world of work

As the international community emerges from months of quarantine, lockdown and protective measures, we all look forward to resuming our normal lives. But experts agree that the post-pandemic world will be markedly and irreversibly different in some areas. After the experiences of the last year, people are determined that the new world be better and brighter than the pre-pandemic one.

One anticipated area of change is the way we work.

When COVID-19 reached pandemic proportions in early 2020, nations and business leaders around the world sought strategies to protect workers and keep companies in operation. The most effective tool they wielded was something called 'remote work'. Also known as work-from-home, telework and homeworking, this mode of employment saw millions of workers leave offices, cubicles and desks, and – with the help of modern technology – resume their professional duties from the safety of their homes.

After a rocky adjustment, remote work not only proved itself an effective weapon against the pandemic, it soon yielded unexpected benefits in cost savings, efficiency and employee satisfaction. Many companies around the world have found Remote work to be so effective they hope to continue this arrangement after the COVID-19 crisis is over. Some firms want to fully implement a work-from-home regime. Others want to create a more flexible routine where employees trade time between home and office. Although no single country or company is approaching remote work in the same way, one thing is infinitely clear: the way we view and perform work is changing forever.

This collection of publications, mainly based on the CMS webinar series The Future is Now: the New World of Work, explores the nature of remote work in individual countries, and attempts to answer key questions as they pertain to each jurisdiction, such as:

• the legal definitions of the various categories of remote work;
• how work-from-home is impacted by national health-and-safety regulations;
• how local laws on staff mobility affect remote work;
• how modern technology can both expedite and complicate work in the future; and
• how each country is adapting its laws to both accommodate remote work and protect employees and business owners.

Produced by top CMS legal experts, the publications attempt to answer these questions and more. Each chapter has been designed to introduce readers to the concept of remote work in a particular country, address the most pressing issues, and identify CMS as a resource for solving any specific problems that may arise. The collection includes articles, podcasts and videos.   

For more information on this and other CMS resources that will help you meet the challenges and reap the benefits of the new world of work, feel free to send an email to employment@cmslegal.com.