Although scientific research has historically highlighted the benefits of remote working—including a boost in employee morale, health and well-being, and productivity—that was before the pandemic. The research assumed that working from home was a choice rather than a necessity and that organizations offered alternatives between telecommuting or coming to the office.

This arrangement allowed for a significant degree of self-sorting, where employees gravitated to the option that best suited their personal circumstances (e.g., commuting time, location, physical space, and need for in-person meetings), as well as their personality.

But what happens when there is no choice and people who never worked from home are forced to do so? Can Zoom fully substitute for face-to-face contact, especially in the long term? What are the psychological consequences of continued remote work, and is there anything we can do to prepare for it?

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