Remote Work Policies as a Critical HR Practice to Navigate through the COVID-19 Pandemic and Improve Job Performance: A Review Article
Abstract
Remote work has lately become the norm in most countries during COVID-19. Since it was an unexpected movement forced by government rules and regulations to control the situation, followed by most organizations to maintain sustainability and ensure continuity, organizations have found it complicated to establish and develop a telecommuting policy to monitor the new work environment norms. This study aims to critically evaluate the impact of remote work policies on employee job performance, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, and investigate the challenges and opportunities presented by remote work in the Malaysian context, assessing how organizations have adapted to this unexpected shift in work dynamics. Through this exploration, this study seeks to bridge a gap in the existing literature by focusing on the effects of remote work policies rather than remote work itself on job performance and organizational outcomes. This review revealed that the concept of remote-work policies is complex, and there is a conflict with the results of previous studies. However, the nature of the organization may determine the direction of all issues related to remote work policies.
Keywords: COVID-19, remote work policies, employee job performance.
Full Text:
PDFReferences
AGUILERA A., LETHIAIS V., RALLET A., and PROULHAC L. Home-based telework in France: Characteristics, barriers, and perspectives. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 2016, 92: 1–11.
AL-SHAMERI A.S.A.S., and OMAR S.S. A Review of Employees Training and Development in Navigating through Pandemic COVID-19: Malaysian Perspective. Proceedings of the International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management. Lisbon, 2023: 18-20. https://index.ieomsociety.org/index.cfm/article/view/ID/274
ALI A.A.A., ALZORAIKI M., and AL AGHBAS N.S.M. Working remotely, social isolation and access to support and communication during COVID-19 its influence on job performance. International Journal of Intellectual Human Resource Management, 2022, 3(01): 23-33.
ALIZADEH T. Planning implications of telework: a policy analysis of the Sydney metropolitan strategy. Australian Planner, 2013, 50(4): 304-315.
ALLEN T.D., GOLDEN T.D., and SHOCKLEY K.M. How effective is telecommuting? Assessing the status of our scientific findings. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 2015, 16(2): 40-68.
AMBIKAPATHY M., and ALI A. Impact and Challenges towards Employees Work From Home during COVID-19 (MCO) Period. International Journal of Social Science Research, 2020, 2(4): 97-107. https://myjms.mohe.gov.my/index.php/ijssr/article/view/11590
BLOOM N., LIANG J., ROBERTS J., and YING Z.J. Does working from home work? Evidence from a Chinese experiment. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2015, 130(1): 165-218. https://doi.org/10.1093/qje/qju032
BOICHENKO O., and TYMCHENKO N. How to Reduce the Pandemic Impact on Employees: A Guide for Company Leaders. Deloitte. 2020. https://www2.deloitte.com/ua/en/pages/human-capital/articles/impact-of-covid-19.html
CANÓS‐DARÓS L. An algorithm to identify the most motivated employees. Management Decision. 2013.
CAPUTO A. and HYLAND P. Employee Concerns about COVID-19. Marsh McLennan, 2020. https://www.marshmclennan.com/insights/publications/2020/march/employee-concerns-about-covid-19.html
CARNEVALE J.B., and HATAK I. Employee adjustment and well-being in the era of COVID-19: Implications for human resource management. Journal of Business Research, 2020, 116(May): 183-187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.05.037
CARSON A.D., and DAWIS R.V. Determining the appropriateness of career choice assessment. In: LUZZO D.A. (ed.). Career counseling of college students: An empirical guide to strategies that work. American Psychological Association, 2000: 95-120. https://doi.org/10.1037/10362-005
CHAU C. Malaysia amending employment law to cater for WFH. HRM Asia, 2021. https://hrmasia.com/malaysia-amending-employment-law-to-cater-for-wfh/
COONEY M. IDC: COVID-19 hits SD-WAN, data center gear; enterprise impact varies. Networkwold, 2020. https://www.networkworld.com/article/3566292/idc-covid-19-hits-sd-wan-data-center-gear-enterprise-impact-varies.html
COURTNEY E. Remote Work Statistics: Navigating the New Normal. FlexJobs, 2020. https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/remote-work-statistics/
DEPARTMENT OF STATISTICS MALAYSIA. Report of special survey on effects of COVID-19 on economy and individual. 2020. https://www.dosm.gov.my/v1/index.php?r=column/coneandmenu_id=d3pnMXZ4ZHJjUnpnYjNyUnJhek83dz09
DIETRICH A., KEUSTER K., MÜLLER G.J., and SCHOENLE R. News and uncertainty about COVID-19: Survey evidence and short-run economic impact. 2020.
EUROFOUND. Living, working and COVID-19. European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, 2020. https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/publications/report/2020/living-working-and-covid-19
MESSENGER J., LLAVE O.V., GSCHWIND L., BOEHMER S., VERMEYLEN G., and WILKENS M. Working anytime, anywhere: The effects on the world of work. Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, and the International Labour Office, Geneva, 2017. https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/sites/default/files/ef_publication/field_ef_document /ef1658en.pdf
FELSTEAD A., and HENSEKE G. Assessing the growth of remote working and its consequences for effort, well-being and work-life balance. New Technology, Work and Employment, 2017, 32(3): 195-212. https://doi.org/10.1111/ntwe.12097
ANPAD. Conference: XLIV meeting of ANPAD. Online Event 14-16 October 2020. Brazilian Academy of Management. 2020. https://doi.org/10.21714/2177-2576EnANPAD2020
FLINDERS K. Remote working set to remain but so do management challenges. Computerweekly.Comб https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252485414/Remote-working-set-to-remain-but-so-do-management-challenges
FLORES M.F. Understanding the Challenges of Remote Working and Its Impact to Workers. International Journal of Business Marketing and Management, 2019, 4(11): 40-44.
GADEYNE N., VERBRUGGEN M., DELANOEIJE J., and DE COOMAN R. All wired, all tired? Work-related ICT-use outside work hours and work-to-home conflict: The role of integration preference, integration norms and work demands. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 2018, 107: 86-99.
DUTCHER E.G. The effects of telecommuting on productivity: An experimental examination. The role of dull and creative tasks. Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 2012, 84(1): 355-363. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2012.04.009
GRAVES L.M., and KARABAYEVA A. Managing Virtual Workers – Strategies for Success. IEEE Engineering Management Review, 2020, 48(2): 166-172. https://doi.org/10.1109/EMR.2020.2990386
GREEN N., TAPPIN D., and BENTLEY T. Working from Home Before, During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic: Implications for Workers and Organisations. New Zealand Journal of Employment Relations, 2020, 45(2): 5-16. https://doi.org/10.24135/nzjer.v45i2.19
HASHIM R., BAKAR A., NOH I., and MAHYUDIN H.A. Employees’ Job Satisfaction and Performance through working from Home during the Pandemic Lockdown. Environment-Behaviour Proceedings Journal, 2020, 5(15): 461-467. https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v5i15.2515
HILBRECHT M., SHAW S.M., JOHNSON L.C., and ANDREY J. Remixing work, family and leisure: teleworkers’ experiences of everyday life. New Technology. Work and Employment, 2013, 28(2): 130-144.
KU. Human resource Management. Teleworking. The University of Kansas, 2020. https://humanresources.ku.edu/teleworking
HUTAJULU R.S. Evaluating the impact of “Work from Home Policy” on job performance (Study Case in Indonesia). International Journal of Indonesian Society and Culture, 2021, 13(1): 39-50. http://dx.doi.org/10.15294/komunitas.v13i1.28436
ILO. Teleworking during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond: A Practical Guide. International Labour Organization, Geneva, 2020.
IPSEN C., VAN VELDHOVEN M., KIRCHNER K., and HANSEN J.P. Six key advantages and disadvantages of working from home in Europe during COVID-19. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021, 18(4): 1-19. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18041826
ISMAIL N.A.B. The relationship between work life balance and job performance among working adult students in Universiti Utara Malaysia. Research Policy, 2014, 9(2): 155-162. https://etd.uum.edu.my/4065/2/s810576_abstract.pdf
KATZ A.I. The management, control, and evaluation of a telecommuting project: A case study. Information and Management, 1987, 13(4): 179-190.
KHALID, K. COVID-19: People, Technology, and the Path to Organizational Resilience. Deloitte, 2020.
KHAN F.F.P., MOHAMMED N., and HARITH N.H.M. The Relationship between the Impacts of Telecommuting Engagement and Employee Performance in Oil and Gas Industry in Kuantan, Pahang. Malaysian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2018, 3(5): 1-9.
LAZZERINI M., and PUTOTO G. 2020, COVID-19 in Italy: momentous decisions and many uncertainties. The Lancet Global Health, 8(5): e641-e642.
MARSHALL G. W., MICHAELS C.E., and MULKI J.P. Workplace isolation: Exploring the construct and its measurement. Psychology and Marketing, 2007, 24(3): 195-223.
MELLO J.A. Managing telework programs effectively. Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal, 2007, 19(4): 247-261.
MITCHELL D. 50 Top Tools for Employee Engagement: A Complete Toolkit for Improving Motivation and Productivity. Kogan Page Publishers, 2017.
MORRIS P.L., and CONNAUGHTON S.L. Managing Effectively in Virtual Work Contexts: An Empirical Study. In: Remote Work and Collaboration: Breakthroughs in Research and Practice. IGI Global, 2017: 267-286.
MUMIN N. Are Malaysians Ready for Telecommuting? a Case of COVID-19 Movement Control Order. Journal of Critical Reviews, 2020, 7(18): 3979-3990. https://doi.org/10.31838/jcr.07.18.493
MUSTAJAB D., BAUW A., RASYID A., IRAWAN A., AKBAR M.A., and HAMID M.A. Working From Home Phenomenon as an Effort to Prevent COVID-19 Attacks and Its Impacts on Work Productivity. International Journal of Applied Business, 2020, 4(1): 13. https://doi.org/10.20473/tijab.v4.i1.2020.13-21
NARAYANAMURTHY G., and TORTORELLA G. Impact of COVID-19 outbreak on employee performance - Moderating role of industry 4.0 base technologies. International Journal of Production Economics, 2021, 234(October), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2021.108075
NARAYANDAS D., HEBBAR V., and LI L. Lessons from Chinese Companies’ Response to COVID-19. Harvard Business, 2020. https://hbr.org/2020/06/lessons-from-chinese-companies-response-to-covid-19
O’HALLORAN J. UK, US workers report ‘overwhelmingly’ positive experiences of remote working. ComputerWeekly.Com, 2020. https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252485202/UK-US-workers-report-overwhelmingly-positive-experiences-of-remote-working
PARKER K., HCROWITZ J.M., and MINKIN R. How the Coronavirus Outbreak Has – and Hasn’t – Changed the Way Americans Work. PEW Research Center, 2020. https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/12/09/how-the-coronavirus-outbreak-has-and-hasnt-changed-the-way-americans-work/
PWC. It’s time to reimaging where and how work will get done. PwC’s US Remote Work Survey. 2021. https://www.pwc.com/us/en/library/covid-19/us-remote-work-survey.html
ROBERT WALTERS MALAYSIA. How do employees in Malaysia feel about remote working? Hiring Advice. 2020. https://www.robertwalters.com.my/hiring/hiring-advice/how-do-employees-feel-about-remote-working.html
RUSSO D., HANEL P.H.P., ALTNICKEL S., and VAN BERKEL N. Predictors of well-being and productivity among software professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic-a longitudinal study. Empirical Software Engineering, 2021, 26(4): 1-63.
SALUDIN N.A., KARIA N., and HASSAN H. 2013, Working from Home (WFH): Is Malaysia ready for digital society? Entrepreneurship Vision 2020: Innovation, Development Sustainability, and Economic Growth. Proceedings of the 20th International Business Information Management Association Conference, 2013, 1: 981-989.
SEWELL G., and TASKIN L. Out of sight, out of mind in a new world of work? Autonomy, control, and spatiotemporal scaling in telework. Organization Studies, 2015, 36(11): 1507-1529.
SHAREENA P., and SHAHID M. Work from home during COVID-19: Employees perception and experiences. Global Journal for Research Analysis, 2020, 9(5): 7-10.
SNYDER K. Enhancing telework: A guide to virtual leadership. Public Manager, 2012, 41(1): 11.
SPATARO J. The future of work—the good, the challenging and the unknown. Microsoft 365, 2020. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2020/07/08/future-work-good-challenging-unknown/
STEVENS P. The 2019-20 Flexible Working Survey. Wildgoose, 2019. https://wearewildgoose.com/uk/news/flexible-working-survey-insights/
STICH J.-F. A review of workplace stress in the virtual office. Intelligent Buildings International, 2020, 12(3): 208-220.
SUHAIMI S.B.A., and SEMAN K.B. Work-Life Balance Practices on Employees Job Performance of Selected Banking Sector in Malaysia. Asian Social Science and Humanities Research Journal, 2019, 1(1): 27-37. https://doi.org/10.37698/ashrej.v1i1.4
UNDP. How We Worked from Home. Report prepared by UNDP Accelerator Lab Malaysia. Putrajaya, United Nations Development Programme, 2020. https://www.undp.org/publications/how-we-worked-home
TARALLO M. How to Create an Effective Teleworking Program. 2018. https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/employee-relations/pages/how-to-create-an-effective-teleworking-program.aspx
EUROPEAN COMMISSION. Telework in the EU before and after the COVID-19: where we were, where we head to. Science for Policy Briefs, 2009. https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/sites/jrcsh/files/jrc120945_policy_brief_-_covid_and_telework_final.pdf
VAN DER LIPPE T., and LIPPÉNYI Z. Co-workers working from home and individual and team performance. New Technology, Work and Employment, 2020, 35(1): 60-79. https://doi.org/10.1111/ntwe.12153
WESTFALL, C. Mental Health and Remote Work: Survey Reveals 80% of Workers Would Quit Their Jobs for This. Forbes, 2020. https://www.forbes.com/sites/chriswestfall/2020/10/08/mental-health-leadership-survey-reveals-80-of-remote-workers-would-quit-their-jobs-for-this/?sh=2afd43543a0f
WILSON J. Impact of Work from Home Policies on Workplace Productivity and Employee Sentiments during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Accounting Undergraduate Honors Theses. University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, 2021, https://scholarworks.uark.edu/acctuht/41/
FRAIJ J., and ABURUMMAN N. How Does Telework Act as a Solution to the Public Sector in the Time of Pandemic? Journal of Intelligence Studies in Business, 2021, IX(17): 13-24.
BUSINESS CENTRAL. Flexible Working Arrangements: Our guide for Employers and Managers. 2015. https://www.wecc.org.nz/sites/default/files/2022-11/Flexible-Working-Arrangements.pdf
DEFILIPPIS E., IMPINK S.M., SINGELL M., POLZER J.T., and SADUN R. Collaborating during coronavirus: The impact of COVID-19 on the nature of work. NBER working paper series, working paper 27612. National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, MA, 2020. http://www.nber.org/papers/w27612
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.