Vocabulary: Remote Work and the Blurring of Home and Office

Before 2020, remote work was still a marginal practice in most English-speaking countries, limited mostly to freelancers and a small number of technology companies.

The Covid-19 pandemic changed this almost overnight. When lockdowns forced offices to close in early 2020, millions of employees who had never worked from home were suddenly required to do so, often with very little preparation or equipment.

Once restrictions ended, most companies did not return entirely to the old model. Instead, hybrid arrangements became widespread, with employees splitting their week between home and the office.

This shift has profoundly transformed the relationship between private and professional space in many English-speaking countries, blurring a boundary that used to be much clearer.

Remote Work

remote work / to work remotely : le télétravail / télétravailler
a co-working space : un espace de coworking
to blur the line between work and home : brouiller la frontière entre travail et domicile
work-life balance : l'équilibre vie professionnelle/vie privée
to be on call : être disponible en permanence

Concrete example: many British and American companies, including large banks and tech firms, have adopted hybrid working models allowing two or three days at home each week, turning the home into a space that is both private and professional.

The Right to Disconnect

the right to disconnect : le droit à la déconnexion
to monitor employees : surveiller les employés
employee surveillance : la surveillance des salariés

Concrete example: several countries have introduced legislation guaranteeing employees the right not to answer work messages outside working hours, a direct response to the always-on culture that remote work can encourage.

Key takeaways

Remote work: went from a marginal practice to the norm for millions after the 2020 lockdowns.
Hybrid model: the compromise most companies settled on once restrictions ended.
Right to disconnect: legal response to work intruding on private life.

Exercise: Guided Reading Comprehension: The Rise of Co-living