“Business is unusual” – remote work after COVID-19

Abstract

During the recent pandemic millions started to work from home. One of the main questions is that this revolutionary change becomes permanent (i.e. remote work will be the new normal) or it will be just a temporary one. In case that remote work is here to stay, it is essential to analyse whether this new form of work makes employees more satisfied with their jobs or not. It is frequently argued that happy workers are more productive, but a generally accepted methodology for measuring both job satisfaction and its possible drivers would be essential to prove this relationship quantitatively. The paper gives a brief overview of the latest trends and tendencies regarding remote work, with special regard to the newly remote workers who have transitioned to remote work after COVID-19 outbreak. The paper explores possible advantages, unavoidable drawbacks and expected challenges of remote work, outlining the prerequisites for implementing remote strategies successfully. Finally, a theoretical model for determining the main drivers of job satisfaction are presented.