Out of Office

Journalists Charlie Warzel and Anne Helen Petersen offer a piercing indictment of American workplace culture and issue a clarion call for employers and workers alike: Use the opportunity presented by the remote work revolution to make sweeping changes. They believe truly flexible work can be part of the solution to an overstressed, overworked society. But remote work alone won’t cut it. Americans must stop fetishizing work itself and learn to enjoy other parts of their lives.

Scrap the “Always On” Mind-Set

Warzel and Petersen applaud the fact that more than 40% of Americans worked from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. They believe these arrangements will continue because employers have seen the advantages, including lower office costs and equal or better productivity. But they insist that working from home should benefit workers, too. They argue that work must undergo fundamental change, including reduced work hours and more stability.