Where is the Place in the History of Work? Worksites, Workspaces, and the Home-Work Nexus

The location of work has received renewed scholarly and public interest since the increase in working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this survey we explore how historians have discussed the location and circumstances of work as well as the distance and relationship between home and work, and we consider why analysis of workplaces in historical research has been limited to few dimensions and questions. We propose a terminological distinction between worksites, which are the geographical places of work, and workspaces, the physical surroundings in which work occurs. Beyond a limited set of examples that we discuss, worksites and workspaces have received relatively little sustained attention in historical research on work and labour. We survey contemporary research on changing worksites, the impacts of new travel-to-work patterns on quality of life, and the effects of workspace arrangements. We then highlight three workplace-related topics that have attracted interest from historians: the transition from home-based work to factories during industrialization; the history of commuting; and the locations of women’s work. We observe that interest has emerged in response to fundamental changes in work, but that there is much scope for further investigation. As the current moment contains similar shifts, we suggest directions for research into historical patterns of work that can contribute to the contemporary debate over the effects of remote working and changing workspace arrangements.