Recent widespread adoption of telework induced by COVID-19 showed many jobs could transition to an entirely remote or a hybrid model. This transition might impact teleworkers’ preferences to buy bigger homes to have a home office, relocate to remote areas, and acquire a car. However, there is little data to corroborate these relationships. At the same time, it is unclear whether relocations are farther or closer to the workplace. Therefore, the present study aims to gain insights into the impact of teleworkers’ behaviors and preferences on the two domains of home and transportation through a survey. The survey is developed based on an earlier model suggested by a comprehensive literature review. The survey is structured to assess the impact of telework on each domain and its interrelationship with the other domain. Participants are recruited through simple random sampling. The results show a very weak reversed relationship between total days of telework (zero days to five days) and home size. Furthermore, telework does not directly impact home size. However, teleworkers who relocated less than 40 km are more likely to acquire a car. The results have major implications for policymakers and employers in terms of using alternative work arrangements in order to reduce their carbon footprint.

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Do Teleworkers Buy Bigger Homes and Acquire New Cars? A Survey-Based Analysis of Teleworkers’ Behaviors in Canada

  • Farzam Sepanta,
  • William O’Brien

摘要

Recent widespread adoption of telework induced by COVID-19 showed many jobs could transition to an entirely remote or a hybrid model. This transition might impact teleworkers’ preferences to buy bigger homes to have a home office, relocate to remote areas, and acquire a car. However, there is little data to corroborate these relationships. At the same time, it is unclear whether relocations are farther or closer to the workplace. Therefore, the present study aims to gain insights into the impact of teleworkers’ behaviors and preferences on the two domains of home and transportation through a survey. The survey is developed based on an earlier model suggested by a comprehensive literature review. The survey is structured to assess the impact of telework on each domain and its interrelationship with the other domain. Participants are recruited through simple random sampling. The results show a very weak reversed relationship between total days of telework (zero days to five days) and home size. Furthermore, telework does not directly impact home size. However, teleworkers who relocated less than 40 km are more likely to acquire a car. The results have major implications for policymakers and employers in terms of using alternative work arrangements in order to reduce their carbon footprint.