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Efficient work-from-home allocation for pandemic mitigation

Author

Listed:
  • Wei-Cheng Chen

    (Academia Sinica)

  • Yi-Cheng Kao

    (Chung Yuan Christian University)

  • Yi-Hsuan Lin

    (Academia Sinica)

Abstract

We propose a mechanism to help companies minimize employee infections during a pandemic by allocating work-from-home (WFH) opportunities, even when the company lacks information about individual infection risks. The mechanism is based on a two-period model where the company has two groups of workers: high-risk and low-risk. Employees are given two channels, which offer different chances of getting long-term and short-term WFH opportunities. Our findings suggest that the company should provide as many long-term WFH opportunities as possible, rather than allocating workers to work remotely only during a period with a lower quota. High-risk workers should have a higher chance of getting long-term WFH opportunities, while low-risk workers should be more likely to get short-term WFH opportunities. Additionally, we suggest that the company may benefit from reserving some WFH resources in certain situations.

Suggested Citation

  • Wei-Cheng Chen & Yi-Cheng Kao & Yi-Hsuan Lin, 2024. "Efficient work-from-home allocation for pandemic mitigation," Review of Economic Design, Springer;Society for Economic Design, vol. 28(1), pages 45-67, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:reecde:v:28:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1007_s10058-023-00330-0
    DOI: 10.1007/s10058-023-00330-0
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    COVID-19; Working from home; Mechanism design;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D47 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Market Design
    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • J28 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Safety; Job Satisfaction; Related Public Policy
    • R12 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)

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