Written by By Stephanie Diana Eubank
Remote work is supposed to provide workers with more work and life balance. This includes simple concepts like being able to work in different parts of one’s home or in the yard or traveling. With so many companies and industries making a fuss about people taking their time off, complaining when staff takes their work laptop to go on trips so that they can enjoy the area after hours or enjoy the mental health benefits a change of scenery provides an odd conflict. From personal experience, management has become concerned and reprimanded me for working out in my backyard. I felt a little confined, so I went to do my afternoon meeting outside to get a little sun. To change locations or work outside on my property remotely is one of the ways detailed in Wiest (2020); remote work can help improve mental health.
Burnout, according to the research in the Fortune article by Wiest (2020), is a major factor in employee retention. Small steps can be taken to help with the mental health aspects of burnout through remote work. Travel as a method to utilize the work-life balance of remote is another way to combat burnout and other mental health issues caused by the isolation of remote work. As detailed in the article by Kemmis (2021), the term digital nomad has been coined to reference people who use their time to travel and work remotely. There have even been findings that working in places like coffee shops, libraries, or other places adds to balance and can help with feelings of isolation. I enjoy taking my laptop to the library or restaurants with indoor playgrounds to do my homework or take classes allowing my children to have fun while I balance self-improvement and caring for my children.
The comment that home is where the wifi is as an effort to balance having a career while seeing the world, especially after the COVID lockdowns. The article also details that not all people vacation as part of being a digital nomad but live for months or years in other countries to enhance their experience. The article, Ekstein (2022), posted on Bloomberg, notes how digital nomads are also part of a fiscal movement redefining the cultivation of building wealth and blending work/ life balance. Specifically, Ekstein (2022); notes millennials, Gen Z, and even some semi-retired remote workers have been using the mobile lifestyle of RV life. Again, embracing the concept of home is where the wifi is to both afford to travel and enjoy their work. The example I can give is some of my professors at the doctorate level live on their boat, travel up and down the Gulf of Mexico, and make sure to doc on days they teach to do so remotely. I have worked with other professors and managers, constantly traveling to enjoy their families while meeting work commitments remotely.
So, why are companies upset that workers are traveling or working in different places in their homes? The Fortune article, Kelly (2022), specifies it isn’t companies having the problem with the remote worker’s location. In the article, Kelly (2022); states it is specifically middle management. The reason is that remote work has made it so that employees can work independently and won’t need middle management workers, especially with productivity no longer being linked to a specific amount of hours work is a progressing trend. Also, it is cited in Kelly (2022); that middle management is often only armed with micromanagement as the tool to manage employees and teams. Micromanagement as a long-term management plan is not feasible in a remote workplace. In fact, this behavior in management is linked to creating a toxic work environment and can breed a hostile work environment. Although per the article by Liu (2021), these leaders who take Umbridge on remote work locations and digital nomads argue that not being in the stationary workstation can always lead to data theft. However, there are basic tools remote workers can use to mitigate these issues.
The tools that can be easily obtained and easy to afford to combat any data thefts are as follows:
- McAfee Total Protection https://amzn.to/3oItMLx
- Norton 360 Deluxe https://amzn.to/3vsA8T3
- GL.iNet GL-MT1300 (Beryl) VPN secure travel wireless router https://amzn.to/3OO2Pk3
Conclusion: Some leaders are taking a stance with remote workers about their physical location, which is folly. It is a waste of leaders’ time because there are simple steps to protect data. If they require that of employees, it will limit issues and help prevent further push and pull conflicts with remote workers going forward in the Great Resignation. Instead, leaders must practice authentic leadership, learn about their teams, and support them. That’s what real leaders do.
If you have stories of leaders making a fuss about personal location, leave a comment here or on Twitter @SDEubank, and let’s talk about it. Remember sharing is caring.
Work Cited
Ekstein, N. (2022, February 7). How Working From Home Will Permanently Change the Way We Travel. Bloomberg.com. Retrieved August 1, 2022, from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-02-07/how-working-from-home-will-permanently-change-the-way-we-travel
Kelly, J. (2022, April 14). The real reasons why companies don’t want you to work remotely. Forbes. Retrieved August 1, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2021/08/17/the-real-reasons-why-companies-dont-want-you-to-work-remotely/?sh=41cda83a7fb3
Kemmis, S. (2021, April 14). How to rethink ‘home’ and ‘travel’ if your job is now remote. NerdWallet. Retrieved August 1, 2022, from https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/travel/working-remotely-while-traveling-considerations
Liu, J. (2021, April 8). Why a remote job might not mean you can work from anywhere. CNBC. Retrieved August 1, 2022, from https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/08/why-a-remote-job-might-not-mean-you-can-work-from-anywhere.html
Wiest, B. (2020, September 11). Remote work shown to significantly improve mental health, 80% prefer flex options post-pandemic. Forbes. Retrieved August 2, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/briannawiest/2020/09/11/remote-work-shown-to-significantly-improve-mental-health-80-prefer-flex-options-post-pandemic/?sh=4bdb97945d47
Dr. Stephanie Diana Eubank DBA Remote Team Research (AKA Dr. Bear) 