Episode: 405

Episode Title: The Dark Side of Remote Work

Remote work is great—right up until you can’t keep all the plates spinning. Let’s talk about this challenge for the hybrid workforce, next on The Perna Syndicate.

Ep 405 show:

Welcome to The Perna Syndicate! For many companies, the workplace is now a hybrid hub where some employees work remotely and others are back in the office. Flexibility is the perk that everyone wants—in fact, a recent survey found that 96% of employees want flexibility in where and when they work. And even while we enjoy the autonomy that remote work brings, it may also have a dark side. 

Remote and hybrid work have certainly given employees more control, but they’ve also forced work-life boundaries to shift. Instead of a work-life balance, people are living a work-life blend where there’s less of a clear line where your work life stops and your personal life starts. 

Some people love this new blended style of working and living. It fits their life and allows them to be productive on multiple levels. But others are struggling—caring for family members, keeping projects moving, and attending back-to-back meetings without breaks. Is it any surprise that our mental health has suffered?

That’s why fostering physical and mental well-being are becoming key priorities for employers this year. They’ll be rethinking traditional work structures to find new ways of working that work for everyone.

Flexible work can be a boon, but it may also have a dark side for those who are struggling to keep all the plates spinning. Managers need to be mindful of how their team may be overextending themselves, and come alongside them to set the right boundaries for work and life. 

Thanks for being part of The Perna Syndicate this week. Be sure to catch me on Forbes, LinkedIn, and Twitter for more insights on the fast-changing workplace. I’m your host Mark Perna and we’ll see you back here next week. Take care!