Elizabeth Berrett
With remote working now part of daily life for millions, employers are facing a hard truth — the home office isn’t the productivity paradise it was once painted to be. What began as a perk has, for many, become a test of endurance, connection, and mental strength.
Remote working may look sleek on Instagram — laptops beside lattes, pets on laps — but reality paints a tougher picture. A global survey found that 22% of remote employees struggle to switch off, 19% battle loneliness, and 17% find communication a constant challenge.
Another study went further, showing that 41% of remote workers report high stress levels, compared to just 25% of office-based staff.
That’s a gulf too wide to ignore.
When the Remote Reality Sets In
Business culture and remote working expert Jane Sparrow sums it up perfectly: “A little bit like when it snows, the first day or two of homeworking can feel quite fun — it’s different, you don’t have to get up as early, there’s no morning commute — but then the reality sets in and it can become a real challenge for people.
“If you’re used to seeing your colleagues or customers every day, feelings of isolation can creep in remarkably quickly. This new remote working environment can also affect focus, a sense of team and creativity.
It’s not something that is often talked about, but if we are to help our teams stay healthy, happy and ultimately productive, we have to recognise and manage the high-stress environment that remote working can create for many people.”
Her point is hard to argue with. Once the novelty wears off, remote working can expose cracks in communication and culture that no digital platform can plaster over.
Lessons from Asia
Sparrow, founder and director at The Culture Builders, has been on the front line of this shift, helping Hong Kong-based luxury retailer Lane Crawford steer through the height of the pandemic.
Company president Andrew Keith reflects on the challenge: “It’s hard to articulate the array of unprecedented challenges this situation has presented but at the heart of our response has been supporting people and keeping them connected — to each other and the organisation.
“We’ve been developing people managers on how to support their remote teams, providing daily top tips and inspiration to keep people motivated and working intensively with the top team on role modelling essential behaviours for effective virtual working.
I started a VLOG a number of months ago to have an emotional and direct connection with every one of my people, during such a difficult time, which has had a huge positive impact.”
The approach worked — and it’s a masterclass in how leadership can humanise digital distance.
The Challenge for Every Business
With millions across the UK now entrenched in remote working routines, the new battleground for business isn’t productivity — it’s connection. How do you keep a team engaged when the office kitchen and Friday banter have been replaced by emails and emojis?
As Sparrow puts it: “There are so many benefits of remote working, for both people and business spanning wellbeing, productivity and the environment. A possible upside of this whole situation is that it may prove the case for more flexible working within companies that have been slow to adopt it.
“However, many leaders, teams and companies come at remote working assuming that people will just do it well or adapt easily to it, if it’s new for them. The other thing we see a lot is businesses putting in a new or enhanced virtual working tool — and considering the job done.
“We need to remember that we’re all human — and so dropping people into a totally different way of working with just a new video communication platform — it doesn’t work. We have to think about how we keep people feeling connected, that they’re still part of a team and that there’s still a strong support network in place.”
She’s right. Technology can’t fix culture. It can only amplify it.
Jane Sparrow’s Ten Tips for Effective Remote Working
If your company’s still getting its head around this new landscape, Sparrow’s checklist should be pinned to every virtual noticeboard:
- Don’t focus on tools alone — Software helps, but mindset and behaviour make the difference.
- Create a third place — Define your “virtual office” culture so collaboration feels natural, not forced.
- Ensure social continuity — Check in, chat, share wins. Humans need connection, not just tasks.
- Adapt working structures — Swap long meetings for short, focused virtual huddles.
- How are we feeling? — Spend the first five minutes of each call catching up, not diving into deadlines.
- Help people manage distraction — Encourage open talk about boundaries and breaks.
- Say thank you more — Appreciation matters even more when it’s digital.
- Energise your way — Movement, daylight, and healthy snacks beat caffeine crashes.
- Walk the virtual walk — Leaders should reach out daily — two personal check-ins a day builds trust.
- Be realistic and honest — Life happens. Leaders who admit their limits build stronger teams.
As Sparrow and Keith both prove, remote working can strengthen a business — but only if handled with honesty and humanity. The office might be gone, but culture doesn’t have to be.
For more insight and practical advice on effective remote working, tune into The Culture Builders podcast.
