When remote work is inevitable: Experiences of remote workers during the pandemic

Abstract

In this study, we interviewed 23 participants, who were forced to worked from home during COVID-19 pandemic, using semi-structured questionnaires to determine their experiences in the remote working process and to identify the factors influencing the efficiency of remote working in the context of the pandemic. We qualitatively evaluated the participants’ responses and determined seven themes: location flexibility, time flexibility, belonging and status, communication, recordability/concrete evidence, anxiety of being invisible and being forgotten, the view of the environment on remote work. The most important factor determining the efficiency of remote working for employees is the nature of the work. If the work requires constant and quick communication among different partners, remote working is not perceived to be as efficient as working in an office. Works involving tasks that can be performed individually and independently appears to generate more satisfaction in a remote working environment. Besides during this period, many companies organized various trainings, seminars and workshops under the name of the club for the personal development of their employees, or purchased them as a service from companies operating in this field and offered them to their employees. JEL Codes: M12, J81, J24