One of the goals of Mobility Labs is to cast off the ropes and chains that hold individuals and businesses to certain locations when they work. But are there limits to this trend? Many workplaces have seen better productivity and innovation when letting employees work remotely. Activities such as education and healthcare have been moving online with some success.

But there is a backlash. Marissa Mayer famously cancelled Yahoo’s remote working policy, and it seems that Hewlett Packard is following suit. Comedian Louis C.K. trashed smart phones in a rant that claimed online communications make us less kind. There is also the flip side: though working at home, or at a coffee shop sounds great, it often opens the door to being available all the time. Also, many people working remotely are expected to use their own tools and technology.

There certainly is a value to face time and interacting with real people in real life. Our take is that a true, flexible working environment offers the opportunity for interaction but doesn’t enforce this as the sole structure.

What do you think? (feel free to comment on our Facebook page)