Remote Working Issues

Remote Working is stressful, even though the pros of this way of working can outweigh the cons, and regardless of whether this setup makes much more sense for us than to go to our company’s offices every day.

We’ve got a roundup of great posts that highlight the difficulties of remote work and remind you you’re not alone in figuring this out:

• The Stress of Remote Working by Martin de Wulf talks interruptions, dehumanization, loneliness and overwork among other potential issues. This thread on the yCombinator forum collects some interesting responses to the post.
• Gwen Moran at Fast Company talks about why remote workers are more stressed. There is emphasis on the stress experienced by employees who travel frequently and from various locations (such as salespeople), who are at a higher risk of negative health outcomes such as insomnia. Also interesting to note, productivity seems to decline at about 50 hours a week. 
• Researchers at Baylor University took a scientific look at the relationship between stress and remote work. The found that autonomy is critical to help remote worker avoid strain, and remote work does not always equal happiness and is definitely not a universal need.

Preventing Remote Working Issues

Finally, it’s important to note that not all employees will be a good fit for remote work, and take that into account when hiring or allowing for remote possibilities.