Home-to-work interference refers to interruptions from family or other household members that negatively impacts productivity. Conversely, work-to-home interference occurs when one's work seeps into their home life and familial obligations.

Tulane University

Work-home interference, ineffective communication, loneliness, procrastination, and boundary management.

Challenges Associated with Remote Work

Wang, B., Liu, Y., Qian, J., & Parker, S. K. (2020). Achieving effective remote working during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A work design perspective. Applied Psychology, 70(1), 16–59. 	https://doi.org/10.1111/apps.12290 

Achieving Effective Remote Work During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Work Design Perspective

Work-Home Interference

Inefficient methods of contact, such as through ICTs instead of face-to-face communication.

Ineffective Communication

Procrastination

Sadness resulting from the lack of opportunity to socialize with colleagues, friends, or romantic partners.

Loneliness

• Less balance

• More work-life conflicts

• Creates "greater work-related fatigue"

• If the employee does not like their remote work environment, work-life balance decreases due to a stress increase

• Hours increase and employees feel as though they are always connected to work

• Isolation


Remote Work-life Balance (Cons)

Employees who receive more social support will experience less procrastination, work-home interference, and loneliness.

Social Support and Remote Work Challenges

- Having a working situation that reduces boundaries such as working from home would lead to misalignment with workers’ preferences.
- Remote work alters the traditional boundaries between work and nonwork domains, which may make it difficult to balance between work and nonwork. 
- Workers are more likely to experience poor work-family outcomes if their boundary management preferences and the degree of satisfaction to their preferences do not match.

Challenges of Boundary Management Caused by Remote Work

In the short run, stressors or shock events will negatively impact individuals' well-being, but in the long run, individuals adapt to their new situation and well-being returns. The rate of adaption varies across life events, and the adaptation pattern has been observed to respond to various stressors as a function of individual differences.

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