[This article was written in the wonderful age before coronavirus.] A week ago I spilled a full glass of water all over my computer. Horrified, I mopped up my laptop, turned it upside down, and let it dry in the sun. By some miracle, it still worked. But when morning came the next day, it was totally fried. As I waited for my IT manager to configure my new laptop, I turned to my phone to scroll emails and my work apps.

For the last five years, I have worked primarily from home. I also worked from home in the 1990s, attitudes and technology have changed a lot in those 25 years. Now, in response to COVID-19, working from home will be different again in the future. This article explores these past, present and future eras of remote work.

I’m into my third week of working from home and I’m starting to feel it. My back is playing up, my neck and shoulders are tight, and my legs are getting increasingly more restless. My make-shift remote work setup consists of a little desk and a dining table chair. Not exactly the ergonomic home office setup the health and safety department would recommend. Everyone is working under different circumstances, but we all want to be as productive as we can.

Surveys after surveys regarding these days’ working environment all reveal one thing: working from home is great​. You get to set your own hours, avoid wasting precious time commuting, and you are able to tackle complex work in the comforts of your home. The benefits of working from home can convince even the most avid supporters of 9 to 5 jobs and office-based environments to take the plunge.