Introduction
The impacts of the current COVID-19 pandemic on various aspects of life, including the labor market, are significant. Most areas have had to adapt to new conditions in which restrictions on social contacts are maintained. As a result, remote work has become one of the mechanisms to reduce the risk of infection among employees and ensure social isolation. The transition to such a regime allows many workers to stay at home, but this does not apply to all areas without exception. In some fields, such a measure is not possible since the participation of people may be mandatory, for instance, at industrial sites. The goal of the paper is to study the role of remote work in the context of both sanitary deterrents and individual indicators of productivity and job satisfaction. Not all employees work from home successfully because the updated mode can cause psychological pressure. Relevant academic resources will be drawn upon, in which statistics and other information about the proposed issue are provided. Safe work practices do not concern workplace affiliation, as the pandemic has shown, and increases in performance and mental health indicators are confirmatory markers.
The benefits of this research include providing essential data on the relationship between remote work and productivity, as well as the ability for team leaders to use this information to optimize performance. Examples from world practice, statistical findings regarding the impact on different age groups, and other information can be useful in compiling a comprehensive picture of the current situation. Therefore, the conducted research can be valuable both for labor personnel and managers. By comparing productivity outcomes and identifying the advantages and disadvantages of remote work, conclusions can be obtained concerning the importance of the transition to this mode and its implications from a personal and professional perspective.
Issue Background
Workplace effectiveness directly reflects how productively the workflow is built and how successfully employees implement the available opportunities to perform their immediate professional duties. Productivity, in turn, is one of the main indicators of workplace effectiveness. Those employees who demonstrate high operational performance tend to be satisfied with their current working conditions. However, with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic and the changed mode of operation, the performance parameter is more difficult to achieve. According to the available data, distinctive performance indicators show different views on the importance of remote work (“39% of businesses increased productivity,” 2021). Particularly, the situation is as follows: “39 per cent of survey respondents witnessed an increase in productivity in their organisations since the pandemic forced the adoption of remote work practices” (“39% of businesses increased productivity,” 2021, para. 1). However, roughly the same ratio of employees confirms the decline in productivity (“39% of businesses productivity increased,” 2021). As a result, remote work is perceived subjectively and cannot be measured by identical acceptance criteria.
The individual perception of the value of remote work can be analyzed in the context of such a demographic characteristic as age. The attitude to the issue of older and younger employees is different, as practice shows. As per the current statistics, remote work influences younger and older employees distinctively by increasing and reducing mental health indicators, respectively (“According to the mental health index,” 2021). The outcomes of the assessment confirm that people over 60 show a decrease in the level of anxiety, stress, and depressive conditions when working from home (“According to the mental health index,” 2021). However, employees in the 20-39 age group show radically different results: “this cohort of workers has seen increases in stress (13%), anxiety (29%), conscious negativity bias (8%) and reduced planning capacity (-14%)” (“According to the mental health index,” 2021, para. 2). Moreover, in younger employees, an increased risk of PTSD has been noted, which confirms the negative impact of changing work patterns on psychological well-being. (“According to the mental health index,” 2021). As a result, productivity while working remotely, being a flexible parameter, can vary with age.
At the same time, when moving away from demographic criteria and paying attention to the specifics of remote work, the indicators of acceptance may differ. This concerns the perception of performance and attitudes towards renewed working conditions. In other words, remote work may not be a deterrent to productivity during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the study performed by Smite et al. (2022), who have surveyed a large number of software engineers in Scandinavian organizations, results vary significantly. To be more precise, “positively affected individuals in some surveys form large groups of respondents (up to 50%) and mention benefiting from a better organization of work, increased flexibility and focus” (Smite et al., 2022, p. 111197). Approximately the same percentage of employees surveyed report a negative impact on productivity (Smite et al., 2022). This means that the individual nature of the impact of remote work is a given, and this is challenging to make accurate predictions about the corresponding influences. Thus, labor activity conducted from home can be perceived distinctively by employees, and different criteria can be incentives for specific attitudes.
Examples from World Practice
Despite the different patterns of the perception of remote work and its impact on productivity, this measure is recognized as one of the few ways to minimize the risks of the COVID-19 spread. The principles of such a labor mode are being promoted globally to create the conditions for containing the transmission of the virus among employees. As Matli (2020) notes, the pandemic has affected all social sectors, and changing work patterns is a forced measure that businesses have to resort to in order to maintain income and avoid bankruptcy. In addition, according to the author, employees themselves want to be protected, and the choice between health risk and a change in the usual working rhythm is usually natural and requires flexibility (Matli, 2020). As a result, the global transition to remote work is an accepted practice, despite its potential limitations and negative psychological health impacts.
When analyzing the practice of transition to remote work, one can note that this regime has become ubiquitous and is encouraged at the government level. Scigliano (2021) states that the changes have affected both small firms and large companies located in metropolitan areas. Moreover, this concerns not only the labor sector but also other fields. For instance, according to Afrianty et al. (2022), according to world statistics, 67% of higher educational establishments have already introduced the practice of online teaching, thereby changing the traditional approach to learning (p. 51). This indicates that the public is interested in improving citizens’ health and safety, and where possible, remote communication measures are being implemented. Afrianty et al. (2022) mention the desire of individual citizens to settle in rural areas to reduce the risks of infection in cities. Nevertheless, as practice shows, even a decrease in population density is not an adequate measure to contain the spread of COVID-19 (Afrianty et al., 2022). Therefore, limiting social contact through remote work is one of the few effective measures.
The benefits of reducing social contact are not limited to the chance to control the spread of infection. Reduced workload and relative safety are seen as significant factors in increasing productivity while working remotely (“According to the mental health index,” 2021). Moreover, for business owners, the measure to create conditions for the transfer of employees to work from home is the only opportunity to save their businesses and protect organizations from the financial crisis. Vowels et al. (2022) argue that, based on the survey of the UK labor sector, a large proportion of executives are convinced that remote work is directly correlated with increased productivity. The stressful conditions that employees experience in the workplace are eliminated, and the familiar environment helps to better focus on the performance of immediate duties. However, given the aforementioned findings on the impact of social constraints on psychological health, this position is debatable. Employees’ individual views on the situation are more credible data to take into account to analyze the relevance of remote work and its real implications.
Regarding the positive characteristics that emerge as a result of the transition to remote work, one can note an increase in individual professional skills. As Wang et al. (2021) remark, increasing the autonomy of employees allows them to feel a sense of responsibility and helps maintain corporate culture even in new conditions. Workers learn to plan their own time, prioritize tasks to complete, and use available opportunities to achieve their goals. In addition, according to Wang et al. (2021), some employees experience reduced workload and, therefore, less fatigue. This is because the staff is not under constant supervision, and to eliminate procrastination and poor performance, managers often reduce the percentage of tasks completed. Most employees, however, agree that the perception of remote work is highly individual, and this is difficult to assess specific effects in every area (Wang et al., 2021). Thus, while surveys help reveal general perception trends, personal views on the issue play a more important role.
Negative Outcomes of Changes
Despite the positive features, some negative aspects of the transition to remote work are significant factors to take into account. Contrary to the aforementioned opinion of some managers, Matli (2020) notes excessive workload and the need to control performance indicators on their own as the challenges that employees face when working from home. Working in a team brings the staff together and stimulates productivity while separating employees from one another reduces motivation and creates discomfort, which manifests itself in absent-mindedness and procrastination. Moreover, operating outcomes are also unpredictable because the state of stress in which many employees find themselves does not allow them to focus solely on work. Vowels et al. (2022) note an increase in negative emotions among interviewed staff, and some employees are puzzled by the uncertainty the pandemic has brought to their work routine. They cannot clearly imagine how long remote work will last, and this factor affects their psychological state negatively, thereby reducing productivity. The longer they are in social isolation, the more anxiety they experience, although this does not apply to all workers without exception. Thus, the updated mode may have clear negative performance implications.
Given a large proportion of companies where young employees make up a significant percentage of the workforce, the productivity of such organizations may decline due to the forced transition to remote work. Based on the above statistics, for young employees, the transition to remote work is often stressful and anxious, which, in turn, negatively affects their productivity and job commitment (“According to the mental health index,” 2021). Matli (2020) remarks that those people who have numerous family responsibilities or do not have sufficient conditions for normal work from home tend to show reduced work engagement. Afrianty et al. (2022), in turn, emphasize the value of remote work from a human resource management perspective and explain that, at its core, organizational commitment tends to increase if employees feel freer. Nonetheless, in reality, the situation may be different; deprived of managerial control and direct support, workers cannot realize their full potential. The range of assigned tasks cannot be carried out effectively, and the mixing of family challenges with work leaves a negative imprint on the results of operational activities. As a result, productivity inevitably declines due to the lack of sufficient motivation.
If employees do not have the skills to manage time and organize an individual schedule effectively, changes can be perceived negatively. Moreover, according to Wang et al. (2021), peer support is a significant characteristic that determines the efficiency of the workflow. The lack of such support in the remote interaction mode is a real deterrent to productivity because employees without direct contact with colleagues are forced to rely solely on individual qualifications. In case a person does not have sufficiently developed skills in planning, decision-making, problem-solving, and some other attainments, their performance may be lower than expected. Afrianty et al. (2022) mention some existing solutions that are designed to help employees adapt to the new regime, such as advanced technical innovations, for instance, the Zoom app that allows maintaining real-time online interaction. However, this form of communication is relevant and effective if an active joint activity is the basis of the work process. In routine procedures, employees do not need to see one another in person on a regular basis. This, in turn, affects morale negatively and explains why performance indicators may decrease.
Future of the Issue
Due to the duration of the pandemic, appropriate solutions may improve the productivity of employees working remotely. Firstly, Wang et al. (2021) offer to view social support as one of the positive factors influencing workers’ acceptance of the updated operating conditions. If executives, HR workers, and other employees responsible for maintaining a smooth workflow promote interaction with colleagues, this can help reduce the negative psychological impacts caused by remote work. Online training, additional educational opportunities, and other initiatives can help employees overcome barriers that prevent them from realizing their full potential at work. Scigliano (2021) argues that company leaders should control the balance of power to create a favorable working environment in the face of limited interaction among colleagues. This may include creating a system of accountability, authority delegation, and additional measures designed to maintain high interaction with subordinates. In such an environment, employees will feel more needed, which will definitely affect their productivity and engagement.
When speaking about long-term perspectives, this is possible that work from home will continue if the sanitary situation improves and humanity returns to life without the pandemic. Hybrid work patterns may continue into the future, even with the end of the pandemic, if performance during remote work does not deteriorate (“39% of businesses increased productivity,” 2021). As practice has shown, despite individual constraints, for instance, a deterioration in morale, many employees respond positively to this form of workflow. The performance of individual firms also has not declined significantly. Moreover, as Afrianty et al.’s (2022) findings demonstrate, not only in the labor market but also in other areas, such as education, distance learning has proven its relevance. To receive education, this is not crucial to attend educational institutions regularly. As a result, if the combination of on-site and remote work is successfully accomplished, this practice may continue into the future and become an accepted form of work.
To maintain a sustainable workflow in the future, managers should compare the results of work activities and offer flexible conditions to subordinates. Since, as mentioned earlier, the negative effects of moving to remote work are rather individual than common nuances, the performance of different firms may vary. Therefore, depending on the real feedback from employees and productivity outcomes, managers should carefully monitor staff performance and make the necessary and timely changes to the workflow. Those subordinates who demonstrate high productivity can work from home more than those for whom this form of activity is associated with challenges. Smith et al. (2022) consider the concept of perceived productivity and note that job commitment may vary depending on employees’ personal characteristics. Therefore, successful workplace organization can be an incentive to keep remote work even in the future.
Conclusion
While summarizing the research results, one can argue that workplace affiliation does not correlate with safe working practices directly, and individual factors may be barriers to employee productivity and engagement. The workforce across large and small companies may perform well in a remote work environment that is dictated by today’s restrictions due to the current pandemic. Updated work practices are perceived distinctively by different employees, and productivity outcomes vary widely by employee age. As positive results, one should note increased autonomy, schedule flexibility, and safety when working at home. Negative effects of remote work include stress, poor control performance, and inadequate self-organization due to weak time management skills. Company leaders should support subordinates, and hybrid work practices may continue in the future if adopted wisely. The modern world can benefit from the use of remote work, and this applies not only to workplace initiatives but also to other areas. Future research may be devoted to assessing performance in other fields, such as education, in the context of continuous online communication.
References
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