Remote Work Research: Bridging the Gap

Remote work is once again having a surge forward in utilization due to a natural disaster, war or pestilence. Not familiar with past encounters? Jack Nilles, the father of teleworking, has a quick blog post on how this is not a new phenomenon. As remote work has again gone through a growth spurt, so has remote work research.

What I always find interesting though, is how so many of the remote workers I know think that this is all new and novel. How this will revolutionize the industry and make remote work more accessible in the future. How exciting it is to have this opportunity. Surely then, after this, more and more companies will turn to remote work as a full time option?? When I see companies and employees jumping on the telework bandwagon in this fashion, all I see are red caution flags.

There is a difference between remote work as a business continuity/risk management plan, and remote work (all or hybrid) as a permanent way of doing business.

Over the next few weeks, I will discuss the differences from my own experiences and combine it with some of the academic research I have uncovered during my research.

I’m hoping, if you are a new or long-term teleworker, you might also jump in with questions or some thoughts of your own on what works and what doesn’t. Let’s get the conversation started and treat telework as a business strategy, not a business reaction.