Investigating the Role of Remote Working on Employees’ Performance and Well-Being: An Evidence-Based Systematic Review

Abstract

Remote working refers to a working model in which employees can pursue work tasks outside the organization due to the use of technology. Several research papers showed that different assumptions are linked to remote work because of the flexibility and autonomy granted to employees when working remotely or from home. This review consistently aims to describe remote work’s role in employees’ well-being and performance. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, 20 peer-reviewed papers published from 2010 until 2021 were selected for this review. Findings showed various and mixed consequences on employees’ performance and well-being. Specifically, remote working affects employees’ perceptions about themselves and their workplaces and contributes to their physical and mental health, particularly regarding work-life balance. Managerial implications for remote working implementation will be discussed in the paper.

Perception of the Effects of Working from Home on Isolation and Stress by Spanish Workers during COVID-19 Pandemic

“…It has been repeatedly argued that an advantage of WFH is allowing a better balance between a person's job and their personal and family life (Baruch 2001). This variable has been widely proven to be significant in explaining work satisfaction (Ferrara et al 2022). However, weak (or nonexistent) boundaries between household and work regarding time spent and space used in the home may blur limits between work and personal environments, and then, a conflict between job and home may arise (Baruch 2001;Harris 2003;Beckel and Fisher 2022;Kohont and Ignjatović 2022).…”

“…CIS (2021) reports that 95% of employees financed connectivity and 65% used their own electronic devices to carry out work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Likewise, organizational support implies not using traditional instruments to evaluate workers' contributions; instead of using presentism criteria, they should use objectives (Baruch 2001) that are based on trust and measurable items (Beauregard et al 2019) and should align organizational values with employee values (Ferrara et al 2022). Otherwise, WFH can be perceived as inhibiting being professionally promoted.…”

“…The massive use of ICTs may generate a connectivity overload, which was outlined before the COVID-19 pandemic (Suh and Lee 2017) and during the COVID-19 crisis (Ferrara et al 2022). Some consequences have been that workers may feel that they must be continuously "online" (Cai et al 2021;Mendonça et al 2022); work interruptions (Fonner and Roloff 2012); higher workloads (Ferrara et al 2022;Chen 2022); less time to recover from work (Grant et al 2013); and greater work intensity (Heiden et al 2021). It has been shown that the feelings of overdependence and entrapment associated with the intensive use of ICTs cause digital stress (Steele et al 2020).…”

“…Therefore, fluid, mediated communication between coworkers and with leaders is a key factor for the successful implementation of WFH (Kohont and Ignjatović 2022). Several authors have outlined that isolation leads to a greater probability of stress, fatigue and burnout (Leigh-Hunt et al 2017;Bentein et al 2017;Ferrara et al 2022;Van Zoonen and Sivunen 2022). Therefore, the following hypothesis is proposed: Hypothesis 1.14 (H1.14).…”

Prediction of Work from Home and Musculoskeletal Discomfort: An Investigation of Ergonomic Factors in Work Arrangements and Home Workstation Setups Using the COVID-19 Experience

“…Recent studies reported positive and negative outcomes of WFH in different home working arrangements and home conditions [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ]. On the positive side, at the personal level, studies reported lower time pressure [ 19 ], better control of work schedules [ 17 ], higher work motivation [ 20 ], higher life satisfaction [ 21 ], and less work-family conflict [ 19 ].…”