When I've had the opportunity to work from home, I've found myself asking questions: Do other remote workers go run errands or feel compelled to do something around the house during their breaks like I do? How do remote employees see people who are in the office, and how do in-office workers see those who are at home?
The more I thought about it, the more I realized that remote and in-office employees can get the wrong impression of each other. Knowing what some of the most common misconceptions are and working intentionally to clear them up is essential to keeping your team humming in a unified way.
Putting in the Time
For a typical in-office worker, a one-way commute is about 27.6 minutes. Many people are able to use the commute to start real work, such as sending emails while taking the bus. For remote workers, though, a "commute" might take seven seconds — the time it takes them to move from their bedroom to their home office. Remote work also offers good flexibility. It's no sweat if you need to head out of the house at 1:30 p.m. to pick up your kids or want to start at 4:00 a.m.
Some in-office workers look at this reality and think remote workers don't put in as much time as they do. They have the impression not only that remote workers are clocking out with fewer work-related hours but also that remote workers are taking breaks more often than they should.
But during the pandemic, remote workers put in an estimated extra 22 million hours, applying the time they'd be in their car or another vehicle to job tasks. Sure, they might go grocery shopping at 2:00 p.m. instead of 6:00 p.m. when it's busier, but maybe they work later in the evening to make up the time, just like I've done myself. They can also point out that it's pretty typical for in-office workers to get paid for the time they spend talking, walking around the office or even just hanging out with other team members and being social — a typical employee wastes 2.09 hours every single day, according to one study.
Ultimately, the number of hours remote and in-office workers put in is likely a wash, with both types of employees running errands, chatting with team members and navigating distractions.
Interaction
On-site workers often go through pre-meeting or water cooler chitchat. They can also access team events or get-togethers. Remote workers can assume this chitchat is happening more often than it is. They can see the events or get-togethers on the calendar and not realize that some on-site workers dislike them or that the events otherwise aren't providing the intended visibility or connection.
In-office colleagues might think remote workers enjoy interacting with loved ones throughout the day when in reality, the remote worker is struggling to focus or explain they're on the clock. In-office employees may also think the remote worker can connect with others in the industry better, such as hitting pause on regular work to attend a webinar. But a lack of social interaction is one of the top challenges remote workers face, and they can be too bogged down to interact freely.
Support
Remote workers can think it's easier for on-site workers to get help because all they have to do is pop their head into someone's office or grab a physical in-house resource. But people can still be unavailable even when they're in the office, and going to someone in-person doesn't automatically guarantee that person will agree or empathize. Many bosses provide unclear expectations or change them frequently, too.
On-site workers might feel like remote workers have better support because managers and executives can be more deliberate in reaching out to them. In-office employees also might feel that, because they can't see what the remote worker is doing, they're pulling more weight than the remote worker and thus deserve more help. If you were to zoom in on the remote employee, though, you might see someone who, overwhelmed and stressed by their workload, doesn't feel supported at all. They can feel pressure to perform to stay visible but not want to admit they're confused or tired. They might get deliberate communications, but those communications can be infrequent and focus purely on the agenda or tasks.
Bridging the Gap
It might not be possible to create a permanent hybrid setup where people can experience both in-office and remote environments. But try to have remote workers visit in person when it makes sense. At the very least, make it a point to include them virtually in the events and meetings you have on site. Conversely, give your in-office people the chance to log hours from home. Hands-on experience is often the best teacher and fastest way to eliminate a bias.
Second, nobody really wins by ignoring the elephant in the room, so be willing to have honest conversations about the way everybody sees each other. Through these discussions, don't assume what people want or need. Let them tell you what they would prefer and what would be most helpful in terms of connecting and resolving misconceptions. Sharing your own perceptions and how they might have changed can be a fantastic way to get people to feel comfortable enough to be honest.
Don't Let Misconceptions Grow Into Big Divides
The examples above show that neither in-office nor remote work setups are perfect. Both types of employees can feel like the grass is greener on the other side and not truly understand what the experience of work is like for the other. If you don't address this gap, it can easily cause conflict and division within the team. The more you openly try to get people to share their experiences and find solutions to what they feel is unfair or difficult, the more you can create the cohesion you need for powerful productivity and innovation.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
