Five years after the pandemic-driven shift to remote work, which many hoped would usher in an era of enhanced productivity and well-being, a Gallup report (“State of the Global Workplace 2025”) reveals a more complex reality. While remote workers exhibit higher engagement, their well-being has significantly deteriorated, leading experts to question what went wrong and how to foster a healthier remote work environment.
The Remote Work Paradox: Engaged but Stressed
According to Gallup’s report, fully remote employees show the highest engagement levels (31%) compared to the global average (21%) and those without remote options (19%). However, this productivity comes at a cost: 45% of remote workers report daily stress, 27% experience loneliness, and 30% feel sadness. Loneliness is most prevalent in fully remote settings (27%), compared to hybrid (23%) and on-site (20%), suggesting hybrid models may offer a better balance.
Experts attribute this “paradox of remote work” to factors like diminished daily interactions, blurred work-life boundaries, and increased pressure for self-managed efficiency.
Organizational Culture and Leadership at the Core
Joanna Tonkowicz, a Gallup-certified coach and HR Business Partner, argues that the issue isn’t remote work itself but an immature organizational culture and a lack of understanding of diverse employee work styles. She highlights that:
- The impact on well-being depends on individual talents and the company’s culture. Relational individuals may suffer more in remote settings, while even task-oriented people can lose social skills over time.
- Physical distance can lead to emotional detachment, eroding team cohesion.
- Managers are particularly affected, with their well-being declining (a five percentage point drop over a year), especially for women in leadership roles and young managers (under 35). Common managerial pitfalls include micromanagement, insufficient feedback, and neglecting team rituals, often due to a lack of self-awareness and adaptive leadership skills.
- Effective leadership, including coaching and managing distributed teams, is crucial, as 70% of employee engagement depends on their direct supervisor.
Employee Perspectives and Practical Solutions
Martyna Pantak from SoftServe notes that in the IT sector, remote work remains a highly valued benefit, with many employees having invested in home offices and perceiving a return to office as a drop in efficiency. However, prolonged remote work can make reintegrating into an office environment challenging for some.
To maintain team cohesion and well-being in remote and hybrid models, experts suggest:
- Dedicated Workspaces: Establishing clear physical boundaries between work and personal life.
- Purposeful In-Person Meetings: Organizing workshops, team breakfasts, or celebrations to foster connection and collaboration, often initiated by employees themselves.
- Supportive Leadership: Implementing regular one-on-one meetings focused on well-being, not just task updates, and using tools to understand team dynamics.
- Cultural Shift: Recognizing that hybrid collaboration requires a different approach than on-site work, emphasizing communication and relationship-building.
Conclusion: It’s About Culture, Not Location
The article concludes that remote and hybrid work are enduring changes. Their success hinges not on where work is done, but on the quality of leadership and the organizational culture’s ability to foster community, support employee needs, and build strong relationships. Companies fixated on control and location risk losing talent or facing “quiet quitting.” The future of work lies in creating an environment people want to be part of, regardless of physical presence.
Source: https://businessinsider.com.pl/praca/work-life-balance-czy-wypalenie-praca-zdalna-pod-lupa/3gfnb3w
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