Work Different

How has working remotely reshaped not just our professional lives but our personal lives as well? The notion of “nine-to-five” that summarized the working world of millions from about the mid-twentieth century onward has undergone a radical shift in recent years.

So long, water cooler; hello, videoconferencing. For those who’ve been granted the privilege, “working together separately” has become the watchword… for better and for worse. Still, the concept isn’t new, though the abrupt way in which it has taken hold may make it seem otherwise.

With COVID-19 now behind us, we know the economy can get along just fine with an at-home workforce. So should we go back to the office? If so, then how and why should the return to an in-person workplace come about? Looking closely at a work model whose roots go back to the 1960s, Work Different examines the origins, impacts, upsides and uncertainties of remote work.

With humour (and a touch of retrofuturist nostalgia!), the documentary reframes a host of social issues—human relationships, environmental responsibility, productivity, social acceptability—by talking to experts, managers, researchers and workers across Canada and beyond.

The multiple viewpoints expressed put such notions as freedom of choice, family values, governance and corporate culture right back into the heart of the conversation.