Just over a week ago I posted an article about the anxiety being experienced by some at the prospect of having to return to the office. This week I’d like to share some thoughts for those that are struggling with working from home arrangements, particularly as there have been mixed messages in recent days about recommendations to work from home given increasing rates of Covid-19, and we are going to continue to see more of it.
Over the past two years we have learnt that working from home can work and can result in improved business outcomes, but there are a lot of considerations that need to go into making it work.
It's not surprising that not everyone enjoys working from home all the time. There are a range of psychosocial hazards associated with remote working – exposure to these could result in experiences of stress, depression, anxiety, and burnout. It’s important to be aware of the risks and consider how best to control these.
What are the psychosocial hazards associated with working from home?
Psychosocial hazards are factors that arise out of the design and management of work, including the social context of work, that can result in psychological harm to employees. As individuals, we all have slightly different needs and respond to stressors at work in different ways, which is why some people cope with and enjoy remote working more than others. If employees are reluctant to work from home, it might be that they are struggling with one or more issues, resulting in stress or negative feelings about work.
Common hazards associated with working from home include:
Work-family conflict – when working from home it can be more challenging for people to keep their work from spilling into their family life. The converse is also true, family commitments may impact work performance or become a distraction.
Over-working – several research efforts have shown that professionals have tended to work longer hours and are more inclined to work on weekends as a result of the pandemic, perhaps in part because employer expectations of availability have also shifted. It can be very hard to maintain boundaries when your workplace is now in your home.
Difficulties switching off – associated with over-working, some people struggle to leave their work behind and ‘psychologically detach’ from it, made harder by the presence of the workspace in the home. Though long commute times can be frustrating for many, this period of time does help to facilitate a transition from work life to home life.
Isolation – one of the greatest impacts for remote workers has been the sense of isolation, being disconnected from other people and lacking access to resources needed to work effectively. This results in lack of visibility of what’s happening and limited access to people for information and support.
Loneliness – humans are social beings, and while some are not as social as others, many miss the personal connections and face-to-face interactions with their colleagues. Chatting over the video or phone is not the same, and when we aren’t around others all the time, we may miss those spontaneous chats around the office.
Uncertainty – working from home can result in less transparency and increased concerns about the future, such as due to lack of clarity about future business directions and arrangements. Other concerns might include uncertainty about how well one is performing and what is happening at work when there is lack of visibility and communication is poor.
What can I do to better cope with remote working?
If you are dreading the prospect of further working from home arrangements due to the ongoing pandemic, or your employer is looking to make remote working a part of your usual work arrangement, take note of the following suggestions.
1. Unpack the aspects of remote working that you least enjoy or struggle with and consider how you might overcome these. For example:
Work-family conflict – negotiate your work hours/schedule with your employer so you can better manage competing demands, avoid self-criticism if the juggle isn’t quite right and try something different instead if your strategies aren’t working well enough for you
Over-working – communicate regularly with your manager to manage expectations, ensure your workspace is set up in an area you can get distance from (e.g. by shutting the door), ensure at the end of your work day you shut your computer down
Difficulties switching off – establish a routine that signals the transition between your work and home domains (like exercise or going to the supermarket), use a strategy like mindfulness or relaxation to help stop thinking about work
Isolation – plan what resources you need and seek them out, share your communication needs with others, make use of technology for interaction with others
Loneliness – find alternate ways to engage in social connection with colleagues, plan time to connect with others, foster your personal relationships and connections with friends and family
Uncertainty – ensure you have regular catch-ups set up with your manager to discuss expectations and direction, ask good questions to help get the information you need to feel more certain, seek feedback
2. Focus on your general health and wellbeing, maintaining awareness of how your work situation is impacting on you, and putting self-care strategies in place
3. Build the confidence and courage to be vulnerable and share how you are feeling with others, but also in sharing feedback about practical things that aren’t working well for you
4. Collaborate with your manager on solutions – they have a shared responsibility for your health and safety, so be sure to raise issues and discuss ways you can manage the impacts.
What should organisations be doing?
We need to strike the right balance between office-based and home-based work. It is important to be purposeful with your workforce strategy and consider how to optimise employee performance, engagement, and wellbeing. Consult workers about decisions that will impact their working arrangements and ensure time to listen to concerns. Support teams to identify what works well for the group whilst accommodating individual needs.
Most importantly though, consider the health and safety impacts of remote work. A risk management approach is best – talk to employees, assess the extent to which they are being exposed to these hazards, and most importantly, ask how their work is affecting them. The presence of hazards does not automatically mean there is a degree of harm, talk to employees about severity, frequency and duration, that is, how often are factors a problem for them, for how long, and how much stress do they cause? Find out about risk factors that increase the likelihood of harm, such as the nature of the home working environment. Then ensure appropriate action is taken to address identified risks.
Are you an individual or organisation that needs further assistance?
WorkLife Psychology can help. Whether you are an individual wanting support to unpack the impacts of working from home and plan effective strategies, or you are an organisation looking for more comprehensive services to identify manage risks, solutions are available.
Contact us today for more information.
Further reading
Australian Psychological Society (2020). Managing hazards to employee mental health during coronavirus (COVID-19). https://psychology.org.au/getmedia/7e615d8c-5469-4111-a3b4-c36a0f50d240/aps-is-covid-19-managing-hazards-to-emplyee-(1).pdf
Ikin, H. (2020). The perks and pitfalls of working from home. InPsych, 42(3). https://psychology.org.au/for-members/publications/inpsych/2020/june-july-issue-3/perks-and-pitfalls-of-working-from-home-(1)
Kesteven, S., & Ferguson, Z. (2022). Working from home can get lonely. Researchers have found a ‘magic ratio’ to balance it with office work. ABC, July 21. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-21/hybrid-work-can-leave-us-feeling-lonely-and-disconnected/101227102
Maurer, R. (2020). Remote employees are working longer than before. SHRM, December 16. https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/hr-news/pages/remote-employees-are-working-longer-than-before.aspx
Nahum, D. (2021). Working from Home, or Living at Work? Hours of Work, Unpaid Overtime, and Working Arrangements through COVID-19. Report by the Centre for Future Work and the Australia Institute. https://australiainstitute.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Go-Home-On-Time-Day-2021-FINAL.pdf
Productivity Commission (2021). Working from Home. https://www.pc.gov.au/research/completed/working-from-home/working-from-home.pdf