This paper estimates the causal effect of parental right to work from home (WfH) on
children’s educational attainment. Using administrative data from the Netherlands
and variations in firm-specific WfH policies, which generate natural experiments,
we find that children whose parents gain the right to WfH improve their scores on
a high-stakes exam by 9% of a standard deviation. This results in a 4 percentage
points upswing in qualifying for a general or academic track in secondary school.
Additionally, using the labor force survey, we find that changes in WfH policies are
associated with a 17 percentage points increase in WfH propensity, but no change
in hours worked or income. These results highlight the large potential benefits of
remote work in supporting families and their children.
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