COVID-19 and the Virtualization of Government

The sudden and involuntary transition to remote work caused by COVID-19 hasn’t been perfectly smooth for government agencies. Some are finding they lack the infrastructure to handle so many people working from home. They’ve discouraged streaming music to free up bandwidth. They’re experimenting with shift-based working hours to adhere to social distancing practices, while security experts worry about the increased attack surface with sensitive government information being accessed at home.

The disruption over the past month has been real, and in many cases, the response has been fast. But once the pandemic is over, the transition from remote back to the physical office won’t be easy either—and not just because of the potential for ongoing social distancing measures in the months to come. In March, when the US Social Security Administration enacted the second phase of a program to close a decades-old telework program and reintegrate employees into full-time, office-based work, employees resisted the change more than expected. They had simply grown comfortable, and happy, working from home.

 

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