Evidence for:

Empirical evidence shows more extensive remote work can lead to lower perceptions of social support and higher emotional exhaustion among remote employees²⁰. Social support simply defined is “the provision of assistance or comfort to others, typically to help them cope with biological, psychological, and social stressors”²¹. Higher social support from the organisation, on the other hand, has been shown to reduce social isolation, which in turn reduced psychological strain, and improved job satisfaction²². More recent research found that social support can help employees overcome loneliness, reduce emotional exhaustion by helping to reduce procrastination, reduce work-to-home and home-to-work interference, improve life and job satisfaction¹. Professional research has found that employees who receive support from their management are less likely to experience burnout¹⁸. Some academics have even suggested that social support is instrumental in suicide prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic²³.

Evidence against:

None!