Working Hard Or Hardly Working? Dismantling Mistrust Around Remote Work And Productivity

"Most hybrid workers will tell you they see the benefits of their in-office days-the camaraderie, the networking, the opportunities to impress the boss-but that they simply get more done when they work from home and can really focus. That said, mistrust around remote work and productivity persists. Morale busting return to office (RTO) mandates may be read as barely-coded messages that senior leadership teams don't trust their people."

"When there's no defined plan for what needs to be done, why it's being done, and how it's being measured, people naturally fill the gaps with assumptions and doubt. This is particularly true in a remote or hybrid setting where you can't physically see what your colleagues are doing."

"If the message from up top is that present equals productive then it's easy to see how that seeing-is-believing sentiment trickles down to co-workers, too. While 63% feel their colleagues are more productive in the office, only 56% of workers believe themselves to be more productive when at the office, according to a December 2024 of 1,000 full-time UK employees by CV Genius. There's clearly a perception problem."

Most hybrid workers value in-office benefits like camaraderie, networking and visibility but report higher individual productivity when working from home. Mistrust around remote work persists and can be reinforced by return-to-office mandates that are perceived as signals of leadership distrust. Many organisations still measure time and presenteeism rather than outcomes, which sustains suspicion of remote work. Lack of clear strategy, defined tasks, goals and measurement creates gaps that people fill with assumptions and doubt. Survey data reveal a perception gap between colleagues' perceived in-office productivity and self-reported productivity, indicating a broader perception problem.

Read at Forbes