25% of remote workers’ social skills have declined while working from home: survey

This isn’t working out. 

Remote work policies ushered in by the COVID-19 pandemic have taken a serious toll on employees’ social and emotional well-being, a new study found. 

A shocking 25% of remote workers say their social skills declined since going fully remote, with millennials being the most susceptible to the harms of telecommuting, a ResumeBuilder.com survey of 1,000 US workers found.

Transitioning to a remote set-up full time has many employees struggling with behaviors and norms expected in social settings, including initiating conversations (18%), maintaining eye contact (16%) and participating in group discussions (15%), the November study found.

Nearly one in five remote workers reported their overall mental health has taken a nosedive, with almost two-thirds citing a lack of social connection as contributing to their psychological decline, and 57% pointing to an increased sense of isolation.

Working outside of the office, however, has a positive impact for some, with about 38% reporting their mental health improved and 46% claiming it remained the same.

“Some employees struggle to adapt to a fully remote work environment,” said Resume Builder’s Chief Career Advisor Stacie Haller. “This issue is particularly pronounced among those who began their careers in traditional office settings.”

Beyond crippling employees’ mental and social health, the out-of-office set-up is a career killer for some.

An analysis of 2 million white-collar workers by Live Data Technologies found full-time remote workers were 35% more likely to be canned and 31% less likely to get a promotion in 2023, compared with their in-office colleagues.

“You never know what’s going through your boss’ mind,” Steven Lowell, a Staten Island career coach and recruiter, told The Post. “You cannot walk into a room and see the look on your boss’ face when discussing a performance review.”

Working remotely can feel like you’re imprisoned in your home, he said, adding, “The ankle bracelet is replaced by the mobile phone.”

Despite the drawbacks, most of the work-at-home set prefer to continue full-time remote work.

The Resume Builder survey found just four in 10 would like to be in the office a least once a week, with a mere 4% gunning to commute in all five work days.

“Ultimately, there is no universal solution,” Haller said. “Employees are discovering what work model suits them best.”