Why won't the left and its allies talk about remote work?

Remote work is not a measure that can be switched on by decree: Spain's Law 10/2021 makes it voluntary and requires a written agreement. As an economic lever it can indeed ease congestion in cities and free up housing, but on its own it does not guarantee that prices will fall.

**Law 10/2021**, of **9 July**, regulates remote work in **Spain** as voluntary for both employer and employee. There is no unconditional right to work remotely and no legal cap on days in the office.

## What the law allows
It requires a written agreement and for the employer to provide the necessary means. It is not enough for a job to be relocatable for the employee to skip the office.

The State can incentivise connectivity, security and suitable workspaces where the employee lives. It does not make remote work an automatic right, but it does make it a possible public policy.

## Effects on congestion and housing
Fewer commutes can relieve urban congestion and free up flats where those who need to be on site compete for space. The effect on prices is not immediate: it depends on supply and land.

Some suspect that rentiers have no interest in property prices falling. The suspicion does not prove that any specific party is blocking remote work for that reason. The left not having made it a flagship cause does not prove a pact of silence.