THE FLEXIBILITY STIGMA
To look into how formal remote work arrangements translate to real-world outcomes, researchers Wang Senhu from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Chung Heejung from King’s College London investigated how managers in Singapore perceive employees who work remotely.
In their 2022 survey – which was before the guidelines were formalised – 473 managers were asked to evaluate hypothetical workers with different profiles, including some remote workers.
The workers were rated on their commitment, productivity, team spirit and promotion opportunities.
The managers gave remote workers significantly lower ratings than full-time office workers, according to the findings published this February in the journal Gender, Work & Organization.
The researchers said this confirms theories of a “flexibility stigma” – the bias that workers who use flexible work arrangements are less productive, motivated or committed.
They noted extensive evidence elsewhere that flexible workers are generally as (if not more) productive, more loyal, more committed to their jobs and happier with their working conditions, leading to fewer problems with sickness, absenteeism and retention.
The Singapore-based study made two other notable findings.
First, the stigma was more pronounced for fathers and childless people than for mothers.
