As Winter Storm Blair wreaks havoc across the United States, blanketing highways with snow, disrupting power grids, and bringing life-threatening conditions to millions, the absence of leadership in promoting remote work is both perplexing and deeply frustrating. With the storm spanning over 1,500 miles from the Plains to the Mid-Atlantic, affecting more than 60 million people, this is a moment when proactive policies could save lives, reduce economic disruption and maintain a semblance of normalcy.
Yet, federal, state and local governments, along with business leaders, remain silent on one of the most obvious solutions: encouraging or mandating remote work .
The National Weather Service has issued stark warnings, with blizzard conditions, significant icing and dangerously low visibility reported in numerous states. In Ohio, where my hometown of Columbus braces for up to six inches of snow with winds gusting at 35 mph, traveling by car is increasingly perilous. Across the Midwest and Northeast, the story is much the same: jackknifed trucks on icy highways, stranded motorists and overwhelmed emergency services.