The pros and cons of remote work in relation to bullying, loneliness and work engagement: A representative study among Norwegian workers during COVID-19

Abstract

Remote work became the new normal during COVID-19 as a response to restrictions imposed by governments across the globe. Therefore, remote work’s impact on employee outcomes, well-being, and psychological health has become a serious concern. However, the knowledge about the mechanisms and outcomes of remote work is still limited. In this study, we expect remote work to be negatively related to bullying and assume that bullying will mediate remote work’s impact on work engagement and loneliness. To test our hypothetical model, we applied a cross-sectional design using data from a large representative sample of 1,511 Norwegian workers. The data were collected in September 2021 during a period of COVID-19 restrictions in Norway. The results confirmed our hypotheses: remote work was positively related to loneliness and work engagement but negatively related to bullying. Further, bullying was positively related to loneliness and negatively related to work engagement. Moreover, bullying was also found to play a partial mediating role, supporting our hypothesis. This study suggests that remote work is related to both positive and negative mechanisms in the workplace. Remote work can potentially reduce bullying and have a protective function in preventing bullying. However, since remote work has positive relations with both loneliness and work engagement, this study illustrates that organizations should be cautious and perhaps consider a moderate level of remote work. Hence, the results have several implications for HR policies and management.

A systematic literature review to explore the antecedents of employee engagement among remote workers

“…Relationship satisfaction: This includes relational satisfaction (Lee, 2023), social isolation (Mosquera et al, 2022;G€ unther et al, 2022) and bullying (Bollestad et al, 2022). This becomes especially relevant in the context of remote work, where a key facet of the work is being separated from others.…”

“…Additionally, an interaction effect was noted in G€ unther et al (2022), indicating that social isolation leads to teleworker strain, which leads to reduced job satisfaction and work engagement. Bollestad et al (2022) found that higher levels of bullying not only led to reduced engagement but also revealed an indirect relationship, particularly evident when victims of bullying work remotely, resulting in increased engagement with their work (Bollestad et al, 2022).…”

Predictors of male loneliness across life stages: an Australian study of longitudinal data

“…Work-related factors, including insecure employment through temporary contracts and remote work, have also been associated with loneliness [29,30]. Recent research has also shown that the relationship between loneliness and employment can be bidirectional: being unemployed can lead to loneliness and isolation via increasing feelings of exclusion from the employed and stigma-related shame [31].…”

Does remote work erode trust in organizations? A within‐person investigation in the COVID‐19 context

“…Teleworkers are less likely than in-office colleagues to receive raises and promotions (Baert et al, 2020) and might suffer from social isolation (Bollestad et al, 2022;Golden et al, 2008;Spilker & Breaugh, 2021). However, despite increased scholarly interest in telework and its consequences, the literature has neglected its impact on trust.…”

“…Previous research has found that teleworking can convey benefits to employees, such as increased schedule flexibility and greater autonomy (Delanoeije & Verbruggen, 2020). At the same time, teleworking might create new challenges: Teleworkers are less likely than in‐office colleagues to receive raises and promotions (Baert et al., 2020) and might suffer from social isolation (Bollestad et al., 2022; Golden et al., 2008; Spilker & Breaugh, 2021). However, despite increased scholarly interest in telework and its consequences, the literature has neglected its impact on trust.…”