The worldwide coronavirus, or COVID-19, outbreak has had widespread economic effects, from plunging the stock market to dizzying lows to disrupting global travel. As new cases are documented around the world; however, many companies are seeking to negate the risk of the virus spreading amongst their workforce by having employees work from home.

Employers worldwide have been instructing employees to work from home amid the spread of the coronavirus. While many companies have decided to have employees work remotely out of a concern for an office-wide outbreak, others have done so as a result of confirmed coronavirus cases amongst their workforce.

Apple (AAPL  ) was one of the most recent companies to make this decision, with CEO Tim Cook offering employees the choice to work from home if their job allowed. Cook stated that Apple was working to "reduce human density" and to help alleviate concerns amongst its workforce. Apple is far from the first major tech company to do this; however, Microsoft (MSFT  ), Facebook (FB  ), Alphabet (GOOGL  ), among others, have already put similar directives in place.

Dell (DELL  ) issued a similar mandate after an employee tested positive for coronavirus. Potential cases of coronavirus are also affecting the federal workforce: the Securities and Exchange Commission became the first government agency to issue a work from home mandate after similar concerns were raised after a potential coronavirus case amongst the SEC's workforce. Additionally, several lawmakers are entering voluntary self-isolation after being potentially exposed to the virus.

While the push to work from home has primarily been a move to alleviate employee concerns and prevent a potential large-scale office outbreak, it has prompted debate about the efficiency of remote work and telecommuting, and whether it would be an efficient practice under normal conditions.

Arguments in favor of remote work have cited reduced costs, a better work-life balance for employees, and generally, a better attitude towards work when allowed to work remotely. Arguments against remote work cite a lack of employee interaction and a general lack of creativity and innovation as a result. Some have taken a median viewpoint and see working from home as a great benefit for new parents or those recovering from injury and illness while seeing working from an office as a benefit to most normal workers.

Regardless of the efficiency, or lack thereof, of remote work during normal conditions, it cannot be denied that reducing the number of employees working in close quarters will reduce the chances of widespread cases amongst employees, and may save many companies from losing large swaths of their workforce to illness.