Remote working and Boreout during Covid-19: The extent of remote working and the role of work characteristics and personal factors in contributing to Boreout.

Abstract

The sudden increase in remote working following the outbreak of Covid-19 provides a unique context to explore the relationship between remote working and employee well-being. An accumulating body of research suggests that remote working alters work characteristics which themselves may explain the relationship between remote working and employee outcomes. The present study aims to explore the association between the extent of remote working and boreout, as well as to test whether certain job characteristics (i.e. job autonomy and motivational demands) and personal characteristics (i.e. self-regulation) act as explanatory mechanisms underlying this relationship. A sample of 195 currently employed individuals (M= 37.8 years) completed the online questionnaire. Boreout was measured by combining the individual scores for exhaustion and boredom. Multiple regression analyses and mediation analyses were conducted to test the hypotheses. Job autonomy and motivational demands were shown to be predictors of boreout, but the degree to which an employee works remotely was not shown to be a predictor. The extent of remote working was, however, both negatively and positively indirectly related to boreout through job autonomy and motivational demands. Demonstrating how the extent of remote working contributes to employee outcomes through these mediators not only helps researchers in recognising the complexities of remote working but also educates workers and others looking to make informed choices about the trend of increased remote working. Organisations can safeguard the well-being of their employees by designing working models which manage the extent of remote working, promote greater job autonomy and limit motivational demands. These findings on remote working during Covid-19 can, beyond the immediate context of the pandemic, guide flexible work practices after the pandemic.