I study how the rise in working from home (WFH) affects the gender division of paid and unpaid labor (caregiving, domestic tasks). Identification uses differences in individuals' exposure to the Covid-induced WFH shock, measured by the WFH feasibility of their job in 2019. Using panel data from the German SOEP, I estimate 2SLS models that instrument realized WFH in 2022 with WFH feasibility. Results show that WFH reduces paid hours and increases domestic work and leisure (including sleep) among women. Men's time use remains largely unchanged, partly because WFH induces moves toward larger, more distant homes, offsetting commuting time savings. Within-couple analyses confirm that the Big Shift to WFH intensifies gender gaps in paid and unpaid work, particularly caregiving. I find that gender norms, bargaining power, and childcare demands interact with WFH in ways that reinforce the unequal division of labor.

How does the persistent shift from office to remote work affect housing prices within cities? We estimate the effect of work from home (WFH) on local housing prices using over 20 million geocoded property listings across 50 German metropolitan areas (MAs) from 2014 to 2023. Identification exploits differences in exposure to the 2020 WFH shock, determined by the teleworkability of residents' jobs. Using a DiD design, we find that WFH persistently reduces the price premium for central locations within MAs. A central result is that WFH reduces within-city housing price inequality beyond the mere flattening of the distance gradient. The effect is driven by the demand side: fewer workers move into central postcodes characterised by a high concentration of residents with teleworkable jobs. We find that access to remote work reduced the appreciation of amenities typically valued by office workers, including public transportation.

We estimate the impact of the Big Shift to working from home (WFH) on offline consumer spending within cities. The analysis builds on a postcode-level panel (2019-2023) of novel cellphone mobility and payment card transaction data for 50 German metropolitan areas (MAs). Identification uses local differences in the exposure to the WFH shock, measured by neighbourhoods' WFH potential: the fraction of residents with a teleworkable job. Difference-in-differences estimates show that higher WFH potential leads to persistent declines in morning mobility and higher local spending within MAs. We estimate an elasticity of spending with respect to WFH-induced mobility changes of -3.7%, driven by large MAs. Unlike in the US, the WFH shock did not spur business turnover, urban outmigration, or a sustained shift to e-commerce in Germany. We conclude that WFH primarily reshapes urban consumption by reallocating where people spend time.

The large-scale rise of working from home (WFH) has granted workers unprecedented autonomy over how they allocate their time and effort, while weakening employers' monitoring ability. We ask whether firms use performance-based compensation to align workers' incentives when adopting WFH.  To isolate the causal impact of WFH, we use individual-level panel data and exploit workers' exposure to the WFH shock in 2020 through their 2019 job's WFH feasibility. Results show that WFH significantly raises the incidence of performance pay and its share in annual earnings between 2019 and 2023, consistent with principal-agent theory. The shift is concentrated among men and workers without collectively bargained wages. WFH simultaneously reduces uncompensated overtime, particularly in the groups with stronger shifts to performance pay. The pattern is expected when implicit incentives (overtime as a worker-quality signal) are replaced by explicit performance-based contracts (bonus for output). We find evidence for selection on gains, where those more easily induced to WFH are also more likely to adopt performance pay.

We study the long-term consequences of a controversial public health reform in 1956 France: banning the serving of alcohol in school canteens to children under age 14. We use rich survey data and a regression discontinuity design across school cohort assignment to compare health outcomes of similar adults with different exposure to in-school alcohol. We find that one additional year without alcohol in school significantly improves self-reported health and lowers the incidence of chronic disease by 5 pp. Adult drinking and smoking behaviour are not different among more and less exposed individuals, likely a direct consequence of health effects. We find no evidence that the children of individuals with one year less alcohol exposure in school are healthier than those with higher exposure.

Recruiting the ``right'' talent has become a central challenge since the Big Shift to working from home (WFH), one of the most significant transformations in modern labor markets. Using job vacancy data from 2019--2023 and an instrumental variable approach, we estimate how firms' adoption of WFH changes skill requirements in hiring. Results show that postings offering WFH list a larger number of and more detailed skills: Demand increases for skills complementary to remote production (basic digital proficiency, online communication) and for ``character'' attributes related to self-management (e.g., ability to work independently), consistent with principal–agent models under moral hazard. Our findings illustrate how the ``ideal employee'' profile shifts with WFH, documenting organizational adaptations consistent with skill-biased technological change. This has implications for the distribution of economic opportunities: WFH relaxes geographic barriers to high-wage jobs but raises demand for digital and self-management skills, risking exclusion of workers lacking them. The paper thus informs education policy, including curriculum design and reskilling programs to build human capital for the hybrid work economy.

We study the causal impact of working from home (WFH) on sick leave using individual-level data on healthcare use between 2019 and 2023 from a large statutory health insurer.
Identification uses differences in individuals' exposure to the Covid-induced WFH shock, captured by the teleworkability of their occupation before March 2020.
Difference-in-differences results show that individuals with access to WFH experience a persistent reduction in sickness absenteeism, primarily through fewer short-term sick leaves due to minor infections and musculoskeletal problems (e.g., back pain).