Is Remote Work BAD FOR SOCIETY?
Or does working from home expose the psychotic corporate culture that was always there?
Note: This post contains spoilers for the film American Psycho (2000).
It was March of 2020. The muted office flatscreens streaming the national news had been going on about a virus spreading, but most of us assumed it would pass.
About mid-month, the boss man asked us how he could make working from home more comfortable with extra monitors, docks, office chairs, what have you.
None of us particularly wanted to post up at home, nor had it crossed our minds as an option. But soon it went from asking to telling. Before we knew it, most of the company was sitting in a spare bedroom or at a kitchen table at home on Zoom calls.
But hey, it was only two weeks, they said. Of course, weeks turned into months, and months turned into years. By then, everyone was split between two camps: going back or staying home.
Yet this isn’t the first time the workplace has undergone major changes. Working from home was standard until the 18th and 19th centuries, before the dangerous world of early factory work took off.
Then came the assembly line, after that, the 40-hour work week was born, and then women entered the workforce.
Before long, most humans were cozily stuffed into their assigned skyscraper cubby holes as the corporations took hold, which created a toxic work environment of its own, as the film American Psycho depicted. More on that later.
All highly debated topics of their time, yet the norm today. Today’s hot topic is remote work. Some say it improves the workplace, others say it’s bad for society all around.
Which is it?
Argument: Working from home is BAD for Society
I know it’s a hassle to come to the office. But if you’re just sitting in your pajamas in your bedroom, is that the work life you want to live? -Malcom Gladwell
Point #4: Collaboration and Communication
Author and speaker Simon Sinek pointed out that the best collaboration happens between meetings, in those spontaneous moments that spark ideas through basic face-to-face communication. With remote work, that doesn’t exist.
In a 2020 study of Microsoft employees, results suggested remote work hurt team collaboration as people were stuck in virtual siloes.
Humans are social creatures, and Western civilization was built on basic human connections. We demolish these social foundations when teams restrict communication to emails, chat, and video calls, especially when cameras are off.
Point #3: Work-Life Balance
Before laptops and smartphones, when people went home, they were done working for the day, for the most part.
Today, people carry their jobs in their pockets and never really disengage from their jobs. The kids want to play, but sorry, son, Dad just got Slacked about an upset franchisee. According to a Remote.co study, 40% of full-time remote workers say unplugging after hours is the biggest challenge, putting our headspace in a constant state of being “at work.”
Point #2: Security Risks
With on-premise work environments, most companies operate with a secure network. When people are free to work in the Wal-Mart Subway in their Crocs, they may connect to shady or compromised networks and become vulnerable to attacks.
According to a survey by Tessian, a cybersecurity solutions company, 82% of IT managers say that remote work has made their companies way more vulnerable to cyber threats.
Point #1: Career Development
If you’re really interested in your job and intend to climb the ladder, wouldn’t you show your enthusiasm by showing up in person, if possible? This is an easy way for management to see who goes the extra mile to get the most out of their workday.
Those who stay home may miss out on mentorship opportunities or promotions. According to a Stanford Business study, workers who worked from home full-time had a lower chance of advancing to the next level.
Rebuttal: Working from home is GOOD for Society
Successfully working from home is a skill, just like programming, designing or writing. It takes time and commitment to develop that skill, and the traditional office culture doesn’t give us any reason to do that. -Alex Turnbell
Point #4: Increased Productivity
Remote workers are often blamed for lying around in their pajamas, doing as little work as possible. But on premise workers certainly have wasted their fair share of time, between sitting around chatting about football, scrolling non-work related websites, and enjoying extended lunches.
When people are free of random small talk and uninvited team members interrupting work, they can focus on the job at hand. A 2024 study from the US Career Institute showed that 79% of managers said their teams were more productive when working remotely.
Point #3: Cost Savings and Environmental Impact
According to a 2019 Business Insider article, Americans spent an average of about $2,500 a year on vehicle maintenance, parts, and fuel, which employers don’t typically reimburse. Common sense would tell you that number tanks when we work from home.
Employers also save a ton by reducing or eliminating workplace expenses and office space, allowing them to spend their money more efficiently, potentially with better salaries for employees.
Working from home is obviously better for the environment, with fewer cars on the road and energy spent on offices. According to a 2023 study from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the US (PNAS), working from home can reduce emissions by 58%.
Point #2: Improved Work-Life Balance
Why is it OK to talk about the most recent Game of Thrones episode for 45 minutes in the office breakroom but frowned upon for a remote employee to throw in a load of whites between meetings?
Working at home allows people to be adults and manage their work and home life more efficiently, instead of living out their existence in a cube. With an average commute of 26 minutes in 2022, not having to schlep it into an office reduces burnout and stress. As far as disengaging after work goes, plenty of on-premise workaholics remain glued to their devices well after hours.
Point #1: Access to Global Talent
Even having an office in a major hub like New York or Los Angeles limits talent to a relatively limited area. With remote opportunities, employers can nab resources nationwide or beyond.
With global access, teams can engage with experts for short or long-term projects without them needing to set foot in the country, and operate around the clock.
Is Remote Work to Blame?
Of course, there are practical pros and cons to remote and on-premise models. At this point, it seems most companies will offer a hybrid option where it makes sense.
But is remote work really the problem, or does it just expose cracks in the corporate culture that were always there? American Psycho illustrates this well.
The film, starring Christian Bale, came out in 2000, and I think I first watched it a couple of years later. After working in corporate America for a while, the movie takes on a whole new meaning.
Many viewers, like me, just assumed it was about Patrick Bateman, a rich psychopath with a secret bloodlust over which he eventually loses control. His exaggerated murders and evasion from law enforcement in the middle of New York City are so unrealistic that the viewer is left wondering if the violence only exists in his head.
But it’s not just about an unhinged lunatic. It’s about yuppie corporate culture.
In the film, executives spend their day sitting around doing crossword puzzles, watching Jeopardy, and obsessing about who has the best business card. They measure each other’s success by who can get the most exclusive restaurant reservations or the most expensive suits.
A major argument against working from home is the lack of culture, but corporate culture is often a cut-throat game, a mask people wear to cover their real identity, or lack thereof, just like Bateman. It seems nobody cared about discussing culture until employees considered remote options, probably because everyone knew it was toxic to begin with.
Patrick Bateman and his circles, and almost everyone else in the city, for that matter, spend their time in similar boxes, in similar buildings, wearing similar suits, often mistaking each other for the wrong person constantly, as if they’re interchangeable.
Because they are.
Building a positive culture is a challenge for all work models, and it's up to both leaders and subordinates to cultivate and maintain a positive workplace, whether working in a flashy modern office with bean bag chairs and “free” bubble teas or operating fully remote.
There can be downsides to remote work, but don’t forget: the psychopaths circulating through the cubicles and skyscrapers of the corporate world have been killing culture for years.
GB
Meme of the Week
Brand of the Week: American Eagle Outfitters
Let’s not act like American Eagle Outfitters suddenly became a born-again red-blooded American company in a spontaneous fit of patriotism. They knew how to read the tea leaves, and the tea leaves said consumers were sick of woke advertising and craved a return to normalcy.
A clever marketer devised the crazy idea of advertising an old-fashioned American beauty to see what would happen. Whatever they paid Sydney Sweeney must have been worth it, as their brand has been the talk of the town all week. Grab some jeans or a hoodie to give credit where it’s due, but don’t forget they still have pride gear for sale. Your call.
American of the Week: Derrick Perry
On July 26, 2025, former Marine Derrick Perry heroically stopped a stabbing rampage at a Walmart in Traverse City, Michigan, where 42-year-old Bradford James Gille injured 11 people, some critically. Thankfully, all survived.
Perry, armed with a concealed firearm, confronted Gille in the parking lot, forcing him to drop his knife until police arrived. Gille faces terrorism and assault charges. Perry’s actions, supported by other bystanders and people nationwide, likely saved lives. Hero.
Interesting to see Insperity cited as a resource for promotion policies! They've built quite a knowledge base in HR best practices over the years. Worth mentioning that as a PEO provider (NYSE: NSP), they're navigating their own challenges in 2025 - modest worksite employee growth and profit pressurs have been a headwind for them. Management has been open about these struggles and is working toward a recovery in 2026. The remote work debate certainly impacts companies like Insperity that help businesses manage their HR and employee lifecycle, regardless of where those employees are located.