The hidden factors plaguing teleworking: Why are remote workers feeling the burn?

By Sandra O’Connell

According to the Gallup State of the Workplace 2023 report, more than one in five people working from home spend much of the day seething.

These feelings are exacting a terrible cost for both employees and employers alike. Gallup chief executive Jon Clifton reckons low engagement is costing the global economy $8.8 trillion a year – or 9 per cent of global GDP.

To employers, he offers a clear solution: “Change the way your people are managed”.

According to Clifton, “Poor management leads to lost customers and lost profits but it also leads to miserable lives.

“Gallup’s research into wellbeing at work finds that having a job you hate is worse than being unemployed – and those negative emotions end up at home, impacting relationships with family. If you’re not thriving at work, you’re unlikely to be thriving at life”.

Stressed workers

While the global workplace experienced an engagement rebound in 2022, as COVID-19 moved to the rearview mirror, workers remained stressed, exacerbated by inflation and cost of living worries.

The report found a majority of employees globally were “quiet quitting”, defined as “filling a seat and watching the clock”.

Quiet quitters are more likely to be stressed and burnt out than engaged workers because they feel lost and disconnected from the workplace, according to Gallup.

It’s why quiet quitters are also an organisation’s greatest opportunity for growth and change, says the pollster: “They are waiting for a leader or a manager to have a conversation with them, encourage them, inspire them”.

It’s important because engagement has 3.8 times as much influence on employee stress as the work location, it found.

“In other words, what people experience in their everyday work––their feelings of involvement and enthusiasm––matters more in reducing stress than where they are sitting”.

Among European workers, just 13 per cent were thriving and engaged at work. Some 72 per cent were “quiet quitting”, while 15 per cent were actively disengaged or “loud quitting”.

Moreover, 39 per cent reported feeling stressed for a lot of the previous day, with 14 per cent feeling anger.

Whether the employees surveyed worked remotely, or in the office, made no difference. In fact, if anything, those working on a hybrid basis felt under the most stress.

Anger is more pronounced

However, in relation to feelings of anger, the difference was more pronounced, with 21 per cent of those working exclusively remotely experiencing anger “for a lot of the day yesterday”, compared with 13 per cent each for hybrid workers and those working fully in the office.

The onus is on leaders to figure out if poor engagement “is a location problem or a management problem,” says Gallup, adding that “no location can ‘fix’ poor management, and the office alone has no magic to create a great organisational culture”.

Figuring it out matters, given that studies from EuroFound, the EU Agency for the improvement of living and working conditions, suggest remote working is set to increase.

A recent paper from WFH Research, an academic initiative, shows the productivity of remote work already varies. Fully remote work is associated with a 10 per cent lower productivity than fully in-person work, it found.

Challenges include difficulties communicating remotely, mentoring and building culture. Struggles with self-motivation appear to be a factor too.

But hybrid working appears to have no impact on productivity at all, it found.

For employers, better understanding what motivates people is key, says McKinsey, a consultancy firm. “While in the past an attractive salary could keep people in a job despite a bad boss, that is much less true now than it was before the pandemic,” it added.

McKinsey finds that uncaring and uninspiring leaders are a big part of why people leave their jobs, along with a lack of career development. “Flexibility, on the other hand, is a top motivator and reason for staying,” it said.

So if you’re feeling disengaged, unhappy with your job, your office, or your uninspiring boss – it could be time for a change.

There are loads of great roles on the Euronews Job Board that could be just what the careers doctor ordered. Discover three below.

Front-End Engineer, WageStream

Wagestream is on a mission to bring better financial well-being to frontline workers. This London-based Front-End Engineer role with the opportunity for hybrid-remote working comes with a range of benefits, including company pension, gym membership and life insurance.

Graduate Data Scientist, Shift Technology

Some 10 per cent of all insurance payouts flow directly into the pockets of fraudsters. In this Paris-based Graduate Data Scientist role, you can be part of the fight back with Shift Technology, which harnesses AI to enable insurance organisations to make better decisions. Enjoy a competitive salary, company equity and flexible remote and hybrid working options.

Partner Manager – DACH, EcoVadis, Berlin

As a Partner Manager – DACH at EcoVadis, you’ll have impeccable communications skills and an interest in enhancing business relationships through a career in sales working with large technology partners. You must be well organized, have the ability to build a strong rapport with senior executives, as well as excellent verbal and written communication and active listening skills. At least two years of experience in sales, account management, business development or partnerships management is required.

Browse even more open opportunities across every industry over on the Euronews Job Board now

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Watch, leave your comments, and share to create more awareness on this issue.