Why is the Verdict Still Out on the Remote Worker?

With all the positive data over the past 5 years examining the role of the remote worker, why is the verdict still out for so many companies that joined the remote worker revolution during the COVID-19 pandemic? The reason is precise because they were forced into accommodating their employees as remote workers without a plan in place.

Remember in the study by Professor Bloom, the remote workers had to meet three specific metrics, have a private room to work from, have at least 6 months’ experience performing their job for the company, and have a reliable broadband connection. The company must be prepared with a plan and policies to have a productive remote workforce. In the Upwork study cited above, they also found that 63% of companies have remote workers yet 57% have no remote work policies.

The recent pandemic forced many companies to gear up a remote workforce quickly and haphazardly without goals, protocols, and expectations in place. Now two to three months into what is most assuredly going to be a new normal for the office worker in the USA and Globally, employers must decide what their expectations and success metrics will be for their remote employees.