Employees who work remotely full-time by choice experience greater autonomy and less isolation, leading to higher job satisfaction. However, these benefits can diminish as more colleagues also adopt work-from-home (WFH) arrangements, according to a new study by Cornell researchers.
The findings, published in Human Resource Management, offer insights into the social and psychological dynamics of remote work, a practice that has become increasingly common in the post-pandemic era.
“Working from home is not equally effective for everybody,” said Bradford Bell, the William J. Conaty Professor in Strategic Human Resources at Cornell’s ILR School. “Organizations shouldn’t assume that having people work from home will automatically lead to more positive outcomes.”
The Role of Choice in Remote Work
Bell and co-authors Kristie McAlpine of Rutgers University and Emmanuelle Léon of ESCP Business School analyzed surveys from more than 2,100 employees at a Fortune 500 health insurance company. They focused on employees who worked fully remotely to examine how the initiation of remote work and the density of remote colleagues influenced their experiences.
The study found that employees who chose to work from home — whether at the time of hiring or later — reported higher autonomy, lower isolation, and greater satisfaction compared to those required to do so. These workers also exhibited a better understanding of their organization and were less likely to consider leaving their jobs.
“You get the best of both worlds when employees can choose remote work,” Bell said, emphasizing the importance of autonomy in shaping positive work experiences.
Challenges of Scaling Remote Work
As remote work became more common within teams, however, employees reported feeling less autonomous. Surprisingly, a higher density of remote colleagues did not alleviate feelings of isolation, which researchers had expected might occur through shared virtual experiences. Instead, standardization of remote processes and reliance on less interactive virtual communication may have eroded the distinct benefits of WFH arrangements.
“That’s a concerning finding for companies,” Bell said. “It suggests diminishing returns as remote work scales up.”
Implications for Employers
The research highlights the need for organizations to adopt thoughtful approaches to remote work policies. Bell noted that remote work’s effectiveness depends on individual and organizational factors, including whether employees have a choice in their arrangement and how policies are communicated.
Flexibility and personalization are key, Bell said, but organizations also have valid reasons to encourage office time, such as promoting collaboration or handling sensitive information. Policies should be tailored to balance employee preferences with organizational needs and implemented consistently across teams.
“Organizations should focus on how working from home is initiated,” Bell advised, “and be aware that as you adopt these arrangements, some of the psychological benefits might wane when they lose their uniqueness.”
As hybrid work models continue to evolve, the study underscores the importance of adapting policies to maintain employee engagement and satisfaction while meeting business objectives.
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