Remote work isolation hits younger employees hardest, study finds

Purpose This study aims to determine whether employees are satisfied with their connection to colleagues when working from home (WFH), whether their satisfaction is influenced by sociodemographic factors and home-based work settings and whether cross-country differences exist. Design/methodology/approach Using survey data from 137,487 knowledge workers across 88 countries, collected during a real-world global experiment (April 2020–March 2021) – when WFH was the only option for many employees – the authors present the proportion of employees who was satisfied with connection to colleagues when WFH and further regress satisfaction on sociodemographic factors; household setting; physical and virtual work settings at home; and country, using a linear probability model. The authors also conduct separate regressions for 40 countries. Findings In the global sample, about 42% of the workers were satisfied with their connection to colleagues when WFH. However, the probability of satisfaction varied significantly between countries, even after controlling for other variables. Nevertheless, in the global sample, this probability was reduced for workers younger than 35 years old, those who shared their workspace with others and those who were dissatisfied with their physical and virtual work settings at home, and increased for female workers. These global findings were also apparent in most of the 40 countries examined in greater detail. Practical implications Although sociodemographic factors and household settings are beyond organisational control, companies can potentially offer guidance to employees. Workplace management should ensure the provision of all necessary devices to support physical and virtual work settings. Originality/value This paper presents a global perspective on the factors affecting satisfaction with connection to colleagues when WFH, including countries seldom represented in workplace management literature.