Remote work and whistle blowing

Mobile work became the norm in 2020. Jobs we never thought were possible from home, like internal medicine, quickly found a way to work on Zoom. Many employees, and even some employers, warmed to the new arrangement. They now had the freedom to work where and when they wanted. As the pandemic began to wind down at the beginning of 2022, many returned to the office, but a very large minority didn’t. 

For companies, it’s still not entirely clear what the consequences of this move to remote work have been. Many studies show that office and remote workers are equally productive. Still, however, big companies like Disney and Salesforce have called workers back to the office, insisting that they’ve noticed a decline in their workers’ output. 

Most coverage of the mobile work revolution has centered around productivity and real estate prices in places remote workers move. This recent article in Business Insider, however, shines a light on another interesting aspect of our new work culture: More whistle blowing. According to the article, the move to home work has coincided with a 136% increase in whistle blowing. Here’s an excerpt from the piece that offers an explanation for the phenomena:  

“Mary Inman, a partner at Constantine Cannon who has been representing whistleblowers for 25 years, told me that virtual work has likely encouraged whistleblowing, because employees haven't developed the same loyalty to their employers as they would in person. "The risks seem farther off when you're in a remote environment," she said. And as workers around the country have reconsidered their jobs and quit in droves, allegiances have shifted. "All that navel-gazing led to people being more willing to undertake the risk that is inherent in blowing the whistle," said Inman.”

Another interesting aspect of our post-covid economy.