Working from home is here to stay, but how does it affect workplace learning?

Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics

Table 10 Effects of working from home on workplace learning according to federal working from home regulation periods

Dependent variable	Practical knowledge	Practical knowledge	Theoretical knowledge	Theoretical knowledge
Working from home	− 0.0928***	− 0.0929***	0.00199	0.00204
	(0.0353)	(0.0353)	(0.0335)	(0.0335)
Working from home * not compulsory working from home period		0.0142		0.0533
		(0.0364)		(0.0398)
Working from home * unregulated working from home period	0.0469		0.0277
	(0.0715)		(0.0692)
Working from home * recommended working from home period	0.00824		0.0580
	(0.0385)		(0.0402)
Observations	11,450	11,450	11,411	11,411
Month fixed effects	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Respondent fixed effects	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Other working activities	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Respondent controls	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

The table shows weighted least squares (WLS) coefficients and robust standard errors clustered at the respondent level in parentheses. *** p < 0.01, ** p < 0.05, * p < 0.1. Practical knowledge and Theoretical knowledge capture the impact of COVID19 on practical knowledge and theoretical knowledge of apprentices, respectively. They have a 5-Point Likert scale from substantially worse (− 2) to substantially improved (2). Working from Home indicates whether the company has apprentices who are working from home. Company controls comprise the variables Prevalence Short-Time Work, Sanitary Protocol, Financial Distress, Risk Bankruptcy and Temporary Closure. The “Not Compulsory Working from Home Period” is composed of periods during which working from home was either unregulated or recommended by the Swiss Federal Council