The Hidden Costs of Remote Work: How Social Isolation Could Be Sabotaging Your Career

The COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2023) fundamentally reshaped the world of work, particularly for office-based employees. In 2019, fewer than 6% of U.S. employees worked remotely. During the pandemic's peak, this number surged to over 50%, including part-time remote workers. Today, about 25% of employees work remotely at least part-time, with roughly 10% working entirely away from the office, mostly from home.

Attitudes toward remote work vary widely. In 2020, The Wall Street Journal published remarks from 19 CEOs across different industries: 9 were negative, 3 positive, and 7 undecided. While concerns about productivity and work quality have often been debunked by studies showing they remain stable or improve, CEOs highlighted other critical issues. They worried that the lack of social interaction could hinder personal growth, professional development, innovation, and creativity—concerns that research has validated.

On the flip side, most employees are enthusiastic about remote work. It offers greater convenience for balancing work with home tasks or childcare, and autonomy provides flexibility. Hybrid schedules, which require employees to be in the office a set number of days each week, serve as a compromise between home and office environments.

However, there are significant downsides to not working in an office. Peter Cappelli of the Wharton School and Jasmine Wu (now at the University of Texas at Austin) conducted group interviews with over 750 employees of a multinational company about remote work. Their findings revealed:

• Remote workers focused more on individual tasks.
• They paid less attention to collective tasks involving others.
• Cooperation became more challenging.
• Social relationships eroded, negatively impacting organizational culture.
• For new employees, learning the ropes was particularly difficult.

Cappelli and Wu concluded that face-to-face interactions are crucial for building the social relationships that make office work successful.

Years ago, my office relocated to a building 10 miles from the rest of our organization. Daily face-to-face interactions ceased, making communication harder. The informal conversations and useful information we once gained were lost, and it became a struggle to stay in the loop, requiring extra effort to avoid becoming "out of sight, out of mind."

In 2021, Cappelli suggested in The Wall Street Journal that we might be heading toward a two-tier workplace. Employees in the office enjoy better access to managers, receive more attention, have more face time, and are more likely to be promoted. This aligns with our understanding of workplace dynamics: we naturally interact more with those nearby than with distant or virtual colleagues. All else being equal, managers often favor on-site workers they see daily over remote workers they engage with virtually, potentially leading to an inequitable system.

Organizations adopt varied approaches to remote work based on multiple factors. Some jobs are well-suited to remote work, while others face challenges. A one-size-fits-all policy may not be optimal, and many organizations are still experimenting with remote work models. For both organizations and individuals, remote work involves weighing costs, benefits, and personal preferences.