The Top 3 Unseen Consequences Of Remote Work

When COVID-19 first hit, companies were forced to suddenly disperse their employees from the traditional centralized office setting and back to their homes, where they attempted to cobble together a rough but seemingly temporary framework so that they could continue to work at a safe distance.

Now, over a year into the pandemic, remote work has clearly become less of a temporary fix and more of a permanent fixture in the modern workforce's future.

While there are many benefits to remote work, including more flexibility, no necessary daily commutes, and reduced costs, some unseen consequences are starting to emerge now that the remote work culture has truly taken hold.

Here are the top 3 consequences of the remote work environment that we’ve uncovered so far:

Negative Mental Health Effects

A survey conducted in late 2020 by healthcare provider Aetna revealed a concerning increase in mental health complaints among workers affected by the pandemic.

 This survey found that 74% of all workers reported that poor mental health was affecting their productivity, and 84% of workers agreed their mental health was more important to them at the time of the survey than the year before.

Greater awareness for mental health, combined with the pandemic's shared collective experience, has caused more people to open up about their mental health struggles and share how the remote work environment is impacting their mental health.

The American Psychiatric Association has released some helpful guidelines for anyone struggling with their mental health while working remotely.

Furthermore, about 40% said that they were concerned that their lack of interaction with their co-workers would have long-term, negative effects, which brings us to our next point.

Stifled Collaboration and Creativity Between Co-Workers

Not only are people missing regular interactions with their co-workers, but they're also finding it more difficult to connect when they do interact. "Zoom fatigue" has become a very real phenomenon, and technology is struggling to come up with solutions that replicate the experience of sharing the same space with your co-workers for a free exchange of ideas. 

More Difficulty Focusing on Work

The pandemic didn't just land workers back at home; it landed entire families back at home, with children attempting remote learning while parents struggled to balance caring for their family and getting work done. And even when kids eventually return to school, many experts and studies have shown that the home environment does not support the kind of steady focus that many employees need to be productive.

While working remotely in some capacity may be part of our long-term future, we need to start paying attention to the potential consequences now and build support systems for remote workers that help them improve their mental health, collaborate better with their co-workers, and achieve a healthy work-life balance in order for this model to be successful.

Does your HR team need support managing your new ecosystem of remote-work employees? Check out clarusHR who specializes in providing HR teams with individualized services that will help them function at their highest level.