As other comments mention protracted WFH reveals and expands many inequities;
- A good chunk of the FAANG workers are young immigrants, which means they cannot move back to their parents’. Whereas most of their American counterparts can do this if they choose to and enjoy multiple benefits from rent savings to moral support of having a community.
- A good majority of the workers are single young adults. Multiyear shutdowns including the office space will make couplings suffer. It is already harder for immigrants to find partners (e.g. large intercultural gaps) but this not only amplifies the current isolation but also delays people’s life goals significantly.
- A good portion of the workforce don’t have enough savings for a downpayment and usually live in HCOL locations, which means they are renting smallish apartments. When the primary locale is home, it makes a huge difference what that home is like. Be it sufficient noise isolation from neighbors, to having space for exercise / hobbies (even more important where gyms and other entertainment venues are closed), a dedicated office, a yard to get some sunshine and fresh air.
I forsee mental health of these demographics taking an extra hit that will ripple for the next several years, even decades.
- A good chunk of the FAANG workers are young immigrants, which means they cannot move back to their parents’. Whereas most of their American counterparts can do this if they choose to and enjoy multiple benefits from rent savings to moral support of having a community.
- A good majority of the workers are single young adults. Multiyear shutdowns including the office space will make couplings suffer. It is already harder for immigrants to find partners (e.g. large intercultural gaps) but this not only amplifies the current isolation but also delays people’s life goals significantly.
- A good portion of the workforce don’t have enough savings for a downpayment and usually live in HCOL locations, which means they are renting smallish apartments. When the primary locale is home, it makes a huge difference what that home is like. Be it sufficient noise isolation from neighbors, to having space for exercise / hobbies (even more important where gyms and other entertainment venues are closed), a dedicated office, a yard to get some sunshine and fresh air.
I forsee mental health of these demographics taking an extra hit that will ripple for the next several years, even decades.