The coronavirus pandemic has forced a large-scale experiment in working from home. It has gone well enough that many companies are expanding their remote work expectations for the foreseeable future, and remote employees want to continue to work that way.
However, as Axios reports, the downsides of remote work—less casual interaction with colleagues, an over-reliance on Zoom, lack of in-person collaboration and longer hours—could diminish the short-term gains over time.
A majority of U.S. remote workers (59%) report feeling as productive as they do in the office, according to a Morning Consult survey of full-time workers on behalf of Prudential Financial.
More than two-thirds, 69%, say working from home allows them to make more time for self-care, and 54% want to work remotely in the future. At the same time, about half also report feeling less connected to their company (55%), more stressed in ways that negatively impact their work (46%), and working more hours from home (47%).
“Our ability to work well remotely is fundamentally based on the fact that we already established strong relationships with our peers,” says Rob Falzon, vice chair of Prudential and architect of Prudential’s Future of Work initiative. “So when you get on the phone or a video conference with them, there’s a history there that allows you to be very effective in your communication, to read body language, even virtually, and be productive.”
Over time, that goodwill with colleagues can break down without social, offline interactions to reinforce the personal relationships. Read the full story.
