What if we all worked from home?

Imagine a world without offices, in which people worked only from home and were connected to each other via the internet. Would that be a better working world? Or just a different one? It would have an impact well beyond work, affecting the look of cities, the real-estate market and many jobs that aren't done in offices at all.

Let's start with real estate. Glittering office towers would be superfluous. There would also be no more conference rooms, executive offices or company canteens. The office floors could be converted into residential apartments — expensive but doable. It would also bring life to those parts of the city where no one goes after business hours. New restaurants might open, as well as supermarkets, shops and doctor's surgeries. Those would be positives.

One group, however, would not be pleased if there were only apartments in the towers instead of offices: investors. Funds often own many properties and would make a lot less money because apartment rents are usually much lower than office rents. Companies can pay far more per square metre than families can. Investors could avoid losses only if rents were raised sharply, making the apartments unaffordable for normal people. Would that still be a city worth living in? Or just a place for millionaires?

The cost of not commuting

If working from home were the norm, there would at least be far less travelling to and from work. Two thirds of Germany's population commutes up to half an hour — there in the morning and back in the evening. That's not too much: in South Korea, the average one-way commute takes 74 minutes.

Lots of free time could be gained. Nobody would have to squeeze on to a crowded train any more, and with fewer people driving to work, the streets would be less congested. However, car manufacturers would probably sell fewer cars and transport operators would sell fewer tickets. Those are industries that depend on commuters, and some businesses could go bankrupt. The knock-on effects would lead to job losses because fewer cars and trains would be needed if all office workers stayed at home.

And the homeworkers themselves? If you like working alone, you might be able to concentrate better at home than in an open-plan office. Anyone who likes to be around others may miss the creative environment, which helps generate good ideas: chance encounters with colleagues, lively debates and gossip during coffee breaks. So, to the question of whether it would be good if everyone worked from home, there is only one answer: it depends.