The State of the Global Workplace Report published annually by Gallup tracks how employees worldwide are doing in the work and personal lives.

Employee Engagement

According to the report, globally, fully remote workers are the most likely to be engaged at work (31%) when compared to their hybrid (23%) and on-site but remote capable counterparts (19%).

Employee engagement is a measurement of the enthusiasm employees feel for their work and their attachment to their team and organisation. Remote workers tend to be more engaged, because of the autonomy they have over their work. This freedom allows employees to play to their strengths and use their time more efficiently.

Wellbeing

While fully remote workers report higher engagement, they also experience more stress and are less likely to be thriving overall compared to hybrid and some on-site workers.

Furthermore, fully remote employees are also more likely to report experiencing negative emotions than hybrid and on-site workers.

So, what is causing this unexpected finding?

Several contributing factors may explain this pattern:

1. Physical distance can create mental distance – Employees working fully remote are at risk of isolation, loneliness and lack social support. Remote work may feel like “just work” without friendships, storytelling and the camaraderie that onsite and hybrid work provides. Spending time with others plays a key role in positive emotions and life evaluations.
2. Autonomy can be stressful – While increased autonomy has been shown to correlate with improved engagement, too much autonomy can create stress, coordinating work with others and managing time effectively can become difficult without clear boundaries.
3. Technology can frustrate – Past research shows that remote working requiring high levels of coordination is more difficult than remote work that can be done independently. Collaboration using digital tools isn’t always smooth and remote employees may not have access to the resources that are available to onsite employees.

Why Remote Employee Wellbeing Matters for Business?

Employee engagement, job satisfaction and wellbeing together support sustainable, long-term performance and job commitment.

Globally, 57% of remote employees are actively or passively searching for new job opportunities. This number drops to 47% amongst fully engagement remote employees. When remote employees reported being fully engaged and thriving, only 38% said they were looking for new job opportunities.

How can Employers Support Remote Employees?

Employers can support remote employees’ wellbeing by implementing the following guidelines:

• Support remote employees access to information by using cloud-based systems to facilitate effective collaboration and reduce confusion.
• Encourage routine and structure – Have short team meetings each day to highlight priorities, clarify goals and identify support needs.
  • Adopt the YTH approach where each employee reports 3 things in 90 seconds:
    • Y: This is what I did yesterday
    • T: This is what I will do today
    • H: Here is where I need help
• Encourage positive relationships – Encourage peer support via social conversations and group activities. Ensure some time is set aside to encourage open communication. Setting up a peer coaching initiative could be particularly effective to enhance the wellbeing of people who are homeworking.

If your remote or hybrid teams are showing signs of burnout, disengagement, or isolation, now is the time to act. At Voltedge Management, we support organisations in building people-first cultures that balance flexibility with connection and wellbeing. Contact us now to explore how we can help you future-proof your workforce.

Eoghan Harley, Voltedge Management