Let’s Unpack This

Why Black People Don’t Want To Return To In-Person Office Work

Racial discrimination is a major reason why Black knowledge workers prefer staying remote.

A Black guy in the office looks to the side while his co-workers whisper about him in the background. Getty Images.

The COVID-19 pandemic changed everything we knew about work. While some jobs mandate a physically present workforce, many realized working from home is just as viable. Some people buckled under the weight of remote positions due to various factors, and others flourished under the newfound freedom. Freedom from office politics and small talk. Freedom from fake relationships and networking. Freedom from racist coworkers and customers.

Future Forum, a site that enables leaders to reimagine work through data and dialogue, published a study titled “A new era of workplace inclusion: moving from retrofit to redesign.” Author Sheela Subramanian discovered more than a few harrowing statistics about “Black knowledge workers,” a term for Black folks who think for a living instead of receiving payment for physical tasks. She uncovered unsettling details about the general stature of Black knowledge workers in the workplace, and the impact of COVID-19 on those employees.

Subramanian found 97% of Black workers currently working remotely want a hybrid or full-time remote job, compared to only 79% of…