25% of remote workers say their social skills have declined when working from home: survey

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

A shocking ResumeBuilder.com survey of 1,000 US workers found that a shocking 25% of remote workers say their social skills have declined since they’ve been away for good, with millennials more susceptible to the harms of telecommuting.

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

Almost one in five remote workers reported that their overall mental health had 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 the office, however, has a positive impact for some, with around 38% reporting that their mental health has improved and 46% claiming it has remained the same.

“Some employees struggle to adjust to a fully remote work environment,” said Resume Builder’s lead career advisor, Stacie Haller. “This issue is particularly pronounced among those who began their careers in traditional office environments.”

Beyond harming employees’ mental and social health, organizing outside the office is a career killer for some.

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

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

Working remotely can feel like a prisoner in your own home, he said, adding, “the ankle bracelet has been replaced by the cell phone.”

Despite the drawbacks, most of the work-at-home group prefers to continue working remotely full-time.

The Resume Builder survey found that only four in 10 would like to be in the office at least once a week, with only 4% gunning for travel all five work days.

“At the end of the day, there are no universal solutions,” Haller said. “Employees are discovering which work model suits them best.”