Remote work was undoubtedly very important in helping organizations cope with the difficult pandemic period.
But while remote work created a new dimension in managing work, it also brought with it some compelling problems.
A new study has shown that working remotely makes it much more difficult to get work done. This is because workers spend half their time doing ‘work-about-work’ which means chasing updates or switching between apps. These distractions, therefore, prevent them from doing the work they were employed to do.
“Excessive notifications are destroying employees” ability to concentrate by constantly vying for their situation, putting them in a state of near-constant multitasking while also filing up their days with menial micro-tasks and admin work, “said Owen Hughes, senior editor at ZDNet said.
More time is spent on attending to notifications since more effort is invested in employees’ digital identities than in the actual work they are employed to do.
To solve the problem, employers are advised to reduce the psychological burden by enabling workers to focus on the tasks and jobs that make them feel valued and productive.