Long-term work from home may lead to increase in racism: Study
The study, conducted by a group of researchers in the Woolf Institute in the UK, found that workplace friendships are key to breaking down misconceptions about each other.
As people continue to work from the confines of their homes while Covid-19 pandemic rages, researchers have warned that working remotely for a prolonged time may lead to an increase in racism and prejudice.
The study, conducted by a group of researchers in the Woolf Institute in the UK, found that workplace friendships are key to breaking down misconceptions about each other.
Researchers surveyed more than 11,700 adults in England and Wales and found that working in office setups work as an opportunity to mix with people from different backgrounds.
The findings also showed that people who were “economically inactive” were 37% more likely to have friends within their own ethnic group than people who were going to the office on a daily basis. These people are also more likely to feel negatively towards local ethnic diversity, the study also showed.
After the research findings, Institute founder Ed Kessler called on ministers to create new opportunities for friendships under public policies to improve community relations. As more and more people continue to work from home in the wake of Covid-19, they risk going “back into isolated silos,” Kessler also said.
Meanwhile, the number of Covid-19 cases worldwide soared to 54,826,773 as the virus continues to infect thousands of people across the world. While the number of people succumbing to the disease stood at 1,323,093.
