Remote work and the Covid-19 pandemic : an assessment of work-related outcomes in remote work before and during the pandemic

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the lives of many tremendously, including the world of work. One of the most striking factors was the switch to home office for many office workers which was at that point unexpected and much more intensive than ever before.

The thesis work aimed to explore the impact of the pandemic on the not unfamiliar concept of remote work and consequential tips and best practices. A selection of work-related outcomes before and during the pandemic was examined as well as tested by empirical research. To shed light on these issues, an online survey was conducted with 100 participants over the span of eleven days. The questionnaire was primarily quantitative oriented with some qualitative elements to it.

The discussion of remote work in this context is interesting in that the voluntary factor of it has widely been lost with the pandemic. The analysis shows that overall the outcomes remain very individual and depending on various external and internal factors such as character, job, organisation or living situation. Nevertheless, concerns on reduced performance, relational impoverishment or job engagement are not confirmed but rather refuted. Work-related outcomes such as stress and work-life balance on the other hand are more twofold in their impact while job satisfaction is closely linked to stress. Well-being is not a problem for all employees, but it is a problem for a large enough number to seriously focus on it. Thereby, social isolation, depression, anxiety and loneliness are at the forefront of the problems.