Resources

The public health and social measures introduced because of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in an unprecedented and rapid transition to telework in many sectors and regions around the world. In Europe, for example, the proportion of workers engaged in telework increased from 11% before the pandemic to 48% during it, with about 40% of paid work hours during the COVID-19 pandemic taking place by telework. In the region of Latin America and the Caribbean, more than 23 million people transitioned to telework in the second quarter of 2020. A recent analysis suggests that the use of telework may continue to grow; for example, research conducted during 2020 indicates that 34% of jobs in the United States of America could plausibly be performed remotely. As the use of telework is likely to increase, it is important to ensure that employers, governments, and workers and their representatives understand how to address the potential health impacts of telework in a manner that balances the needs of workers and organizations. The WHO Technical Brief on 'Healthy and Safe Telework,' provides practical advice on organizing and carrying out telework in a way that protects and promotes physical and mental health and social well-being, according to the existing WHO guidelines and ILO standards and guides.