Working from home is suddenly the new normal as many organisations and workers try to keep operating under the social distancing restrictions needed to stamp out the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Working from home not only eliminates potential spread of the virus at the workplace – between employees and between employees and customers – but also reduces social contact associated with commuting to and from the workplace.

This briefing paper reviews research on working from home and how it affects workers and families to offer some insights on the potential benefits and pitfalls of this COVID-19 induced shift in working patterns.