An interesting article in HR Review reports that research undertaken on remote working has shown that female staff report lower happiness and motivation than men when remote working.
The research results which are contained in a report by Ring Central (a cloud-based communications provider) suggest there is a small but significant difference between male and female experiences of remote working. Just over a third of women (36%) and a bit under half of men (43%) reported feeling happy when remote working. One of the factors which may explain the difference in experience is the difference between the physical environment in which the work is undertaken. Almost half of the men surveyed have a dedicated office space at home with a door which can be closed compared to just over a third of women who reported having the same set-up.
The HR Review article also notes that the research indicates that the creation of a “connected culture” is an important factor in improving the level of wellbeing and motivation for all employees. This is not just about making sure that employees have a good working environment and the appropriate tech, it is also about engagement and encouraging and supporting a healthy work-life balance.
Once again, it appears that the creation of effective channels for employee engagement both with the business and with each other, especially when remote working, has never been more important. The article underlines the need to have good open communication with employees who are working remotely to understand and support them in respect of all aspects of their working environment both from a physical and an emotional perspective.