Remote work burnout, professional job stress, and employee emotional exhaustion during the COVID-19 pandemic

At Kuubiik, we understand the unique challenges freelancers and remote workers face. Our platform connects talented professionals with steady gigs and vetted clients, ensuring that you don’t have to deal with the exhaustion of finding work. When you feel overwhelmed by the pressures of remote work, it can be difficult to stay motivated to complete your tasks. Many remote workers report having trouble falling asleep, even when they are physically tired. This may be due to the inability to unwind after a day spent in the same space where they work. Remote workers experiencing high levels of fatigue are less likely to come up with innovative ideas, solve problems effectively, or make confident decisions.

Carve time out for self-care

41,50 further emphasize the critical importance of organizational support in improving both mental health and social cohesion among remote workers. In short, employee well-being has become a critical success factor in contemporary work environments 28,66. When neglected, it leads to declines in organizational productivity and performance . Thus, promoting well-being in remote work settings is not merely a matter of employee satisfaction, but it is a fundamental component of sustainable organizational success.

• This allows for one to make sure that the group has common ground prior to moving on.
• The truth is that the flexibility remote work offers can also make it harder to switch off, leading to increased mental strain.
• This may be temporary due to travel to a common location or permanent because all collaborators of the group are at the common work site.
• Those who say they’re significantly more productive work an additional 4.5 hours each day.

Add a link to that screening website to your company handbook for easy reference. “Offering flexible scheduling to employees can have a dramatic impact on reducing burnout," says Carol Cochran, VP of People & Culture at FlexJobs. "Rigid work schedules usually magnify conflict between work and family, leading workers to mental exhaustion." Managing remote work fatigue necessitates a multifaceted approach comprising effective strategies and the right tools. By setting clear boundaries, prioritizing self-care, fostering connections, utilizing time management techniques, and exploring helpful technologies, professionals can sustain their well-being and thrive in the remote work environment.

In addition to dispersed operations that relied heavily on a combination of explicit information and detailed record-keeping, more tacit and situated knowledge developed through socialization. For example, the Hudson's Bay Company showed a variety of control mechanisms including selection techniques, information requirements, and direct local oversight through its distributed practices of socialization, communication, and participation. Managers found that "common sense" was not enough to encourage everyone to comply. Lack of a set routine creates stress points throughout your day that can result in extreme fatigue.

Loneliness and Isolation in the Era of Telework: A Comprehensive Review of Challenges for Organizational Success

Otherwise, using office-style culture to conduct virtual work is simply forcing a square peg into a round hole, leading many staff to burn out. Have you or your employees been feeling work-from-home burnout and Zoom fatigue despite the supposed convenience of working from home and using videoconferences to meet? I was instantly impressed with the UI/UX of the RemotePass platform, it is incredibly user-friendly and the feedback I have received from the remote workers has been excellent. Having supplied contract and remote staff to clients in the Middle East for several years, I have been used to a very manual and labor-heavy process when it comes to payroll and compliance.

2.1. Cluster 1—Mental Health and Job Performance

Motivators, such as recognition and opportunities for career advancement, may be affected in remote work environments. A 2010 study found that remote workers who are not physically present may experience fewer opportunities for recognition and advancement compared to on-site colleagues, as they may be less visible to peers and supervisors. Sharing information among teams can also present challenges when working remotely.

As such groups may find remote working impossible, their presence or absence in these samples may affect the analysis. Gallup found in February 2023 that, among remote-capable employees in the U.S., 20% worked on-site, 28% exclusively remote and 52% hybrid. It became more common in the 1990s and 2000s, facilitated by internet technologies such as collaborative software on cloud computing and conference calling via videotelephony. In 2020, workplace hazard controls for COVID-19 catalyzed a rapid transition to remote work for white-collar workers around the world, which largely persisted even after restrictions were lifted. By following these tactics, you will be able to reduce the fatigue that comes from working remotely. Come up with processes that work for you so you have a healthy work-life balance.

These models are emerging as the preferred organizational strategy in today’s work environment, as they are seen to better support interpersonal interaction and foster team cohesion . The findings indicate a pronounced acceleration in scholarly interest post-2020, coinciding with the shift to remote work. The crisis, however, catalyzed a surge in research, peaking in 2022, reflecting heightened awareness of the psychological and structural challenges posed by digital work environments.

How Remote Work Fatigue Affects Your Performance

This constant overlap leads to emotional and mental stress, remote work fatigue contributing to fatigue. From mental exhaustion to physical strain, the symptoms of remote work fatigue can be misleading. In this article, we will explore why remote work fatigue is much more than just feeling tired at the end of the day and discuss strategies to combat its effects.

• The prevalence of the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) model across this cluster reflects its utility in explaining how imbalances between work demands and resources erode engagement and well-being.
• Blurred boundaries, isolation, increased workload, and lack of structure are some of the causes of remote work burnout.
• Ref. recommends both individual and organizational psychological support to counter burnout and technostress and to promote greater harmony between personal and professional responsibilities.

Surveys by FlexJobs found that 81% of respondents said they would be more loyal to their employers if they had flexible work options. In a 2021 study by McKinsey & Company, more than half of the workers supported companies adopting a hybrid work model, and more than a quarter stated that they would consider switching jobs if their current employer eliminated remote work options. Turnover intention, or the desire to leave an organization, is lower for remote workers.

Of these, 65 were deemed directly relevant for final analysis, focusing explicitly on the impact of loneliness and perceived isolation on psychological well-being and organizational outcomes (Table 1). The screening process involved three stages, title review, abstract screening, and full-text assessment, conducted independently by two reviewers to ensure reliability. Disagreements between reviewers were resolved through discussion and consensus.

The geographic context of each study was also recorded to support the analysis of regional patterns in research activity. These analyses provided a more nuanced understanding of the structure and development of the literature on the topic. We also examined the sociodemographic characteristics of the study samples, such as the professional sector, to explore how these factors relate to the effects of loneliness and isolation on workers’ mental health (RQ2).

This can result in missed deadlines, decreased quality of work, and ultimately, reduced productivity. Remote work has become a norm for many people since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world in early 2020. Although remote work has many benefits, such as increased flexibility, better work-life balance, and reduced commute time, it also comes with its unique challenges. The more open you are about your own struggles with burnout and how you cope, the more effective of a leader you will be for your remote team.

Job characteristic theory has found that feedback is strongly related to overall job satisfaction. Research indicates that reduced communication and feedback in remote settings can lead to lower levels of job engagement. Studies in 2006 and 2011 found that when perceived supervisor support and the quality of the leader-employee relationship decline, remote workers' job satisfaction may decrease.

Fortunately, you can give your team the tools and support they need to feel productive, fulfilled, and part of something bigger than themselves. Part of the reason for this behavior is because remote employees want to project an appearance of productivity — so they check off to-do lists at lightning speed. Remote working is draining and could impact employee happiness and productivity. Our seasoned team of professionals specializes in crafting personalized wellness plans, offering invaluable insights, and providing unwavering support to help you improve your overall well-being while navigating the remote work landscape. To discover more about how Global Healthcare Resources can assist you in achieving a healthier work-life balance, we encourage you to visit our dedicated wellness consulting page. Should you find yourself grappling with the intricacies of remote work fatigue and seeking personalized guidance to enhance your wellness, consider seeking support from wellness consulting experts.