Efficient work-from-home allocation for pandemic mitigation

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.