Research Shows The ‘Green Status Effect’ Is Real For In-Person And Remote Workers Alike

With many major companies calling workers back to the office (and many smaller employers following suit), it seems clear that the age of peak remote work is over.

That might be frustrating for those who became accustomed to the freedom afforded by the pandemic-era work-from-home revolution. But even if you’re still able to telecommute, researchers say there’s growing pressure to appear busy.

What the numbers reveal

It’s easier than ever for employers to keep tabs on the actions of employees, which means workers feel the need to prove they’re constantly being productive.

A phenomenon called “green status effect” gets its name from the “active” status on many office management apps. In addition to refreshing computers to maintain that status, some of the other ways it manifests in the modern workplace include:

• Scheduling emails to send at strategic times to indicate longer working hours
• Chiming in on messaging app threads of social or non-work-related topics
• Arriving earlier and/or staying later than the boss

These strategies impact both remote and in-office workers. And the growing number of hybrid workers are facing pressure at home and in the office.

Employers’ hidden agenda

Many companies have made headlines for calling many remote workers back to the office, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be working in-person full-time. In fact, 82% of Fortune 500 firms are allowing for some form of hybrid work environment.

But the evidence suggests that remote work hasn’t really had a negative impact on productivity, so why are companies pushing for a return to the office in the first place? In addition to trying to fill unused buildings and stoke in-person collaboration, there’s a more sinister motive at play.

Some employers have admitted that their return-to-office policies were designed to make workers quit, thus avoiding the negative press surrounding layoffs.

Chris Agee June 11th, 2024

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