Teleworking: can it be a source of suffering or stress at work?

Published on : 09 April 20212 min reading time
During the last lockdown, companies were forced to find a way to continue their activities to avoid bankruptcy. Fortunately, thanks to the Internet, they have found a very practical solution which is teleworking. According to some employee engagement surveys, five million employees have used this method. While staying at home, employees have access to their usual work, using their computer and high-speed Internet. But is this dangerous for employees? If so, what kind of problems might they encounter?

The harmful effects of teleworking

In these times of confinement, teleworking has adverse effects on the health of employees. Although telework is a very useful tool for companies and IT guarantees the continuity of their business, it also has a rather devastating effect on employees. This results in digital over-solicitation and over-control by employers, as they are obliged to monitor employees’ and collaborators’ online time. In addition, all employees feel that they are working even longer than usual, and others are even anxious about not being able to finish their work on time or not being able to achieve their goals. However, what is certain is that employee engagement is very important for the company and employers should find feedback solutions for the employee experience.

Psychological distress

According to the employee engagement surveys, many employees felt isolated, others experienced loss of focus, fatigue, irritation and back pain. Some have experienced stress as well as total exhaustion from their already overloaded work. In short, telework has its own dark side and the result is loneliness, anxiety, weariness, stress, etc.

We often see some of them on social networks trying to share their distress about this way of working. And in recent months, this case of psychological distress is getting worse every day infecting more and more employees. Others were even ordered by their doctors to stop work and were placed on medication.

Employers have the obligation to safeguard the health of their employees

Employers must be concerned about preventing psychosocial and occupational risks for their employees. Even in times of confinement and teleworking, they still have an obligation to ensure the protection of their employees’ well-being. Moreover, according to surveys on employee engagement, the preservation of the physical and mental health of employees is deemed mandatory for employers and, above all, beneficial for the company.

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