When do employees feel isolated when working from home? Longitudinal trajectories, antecedents and outcomes of workplace isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic
IntroductionPrevious longitudinal studies investigated loneliness in general populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Less is known about workplace isolation among employees working from home (WFH). Based on job demands-resources and conservation-of-resources theories, this study aims to analyze wo...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-07-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1601214/full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849415597013598208 |
|---|---|
| author | Ilona Efimov Annika Krick Volker Harth Jörg Felfe Stefanie Mache |
| author_facet | Ilona Efimov Annika Krick Volker Harth Jörg Felfe Stefanie Mache |
| author_sort | Ilona Efimov |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionPrevious longitudinal studies investigated loneliness in general populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Less is known about workplace isolation among employees working from home (WFH). Based on job demands-resources and conservation-of-resources theories, this study aims to analyze workplace isolation of employees WFH in relation to their WFH intensity.MethodsThis study examined the change in workplace isolation and WFH intensity over 5 measurement points of 512 employees using multilevel growth curve analysis (GCA), identified groups of participants with distinct trajectories of workplace isolation and WFH intensity using latent profile analysis (LPA), and investigated antecedents and consequences of profile membership.ResultsGCA indicated an overall negative linear and quadratic relationship between time and workplace isolation, as well as interaction effects between time and WFH intensity on workplace isolation. LPA identified 3 groups: (1) high WFH intensity and low isolation, (2) low WFH intensity and high isolation, (3) high WFH intensity and high isolation. Subsequent analyses revealed that individuals in profile 1 had high levels of health-oriented self-leadership (SelfCare) and social support by colleagues, and low levels of communication difficulties, health-oriented employee-leadership (StaffCare) and extraversion. Regarding differences, highest commitment was identified among individuals displaying low WFH intensity (profile 2), whereas highest self-rated performance was prevalent among individuals experiencing low workplace isolation (profile 1).DiscussionApplying GCA and LPA in this line of research is novel and adds to the understanding of both between-and within-effects of workplace isolation and WFH intensity. Knowledge about relevant resources (e.g., SelfCare) and demands (e.g., communication difficulties) may inform organizational practices aimed at preventing isolation in remote and hybrid work settings. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ef2ce256a0ee4876b85768ef83c04831 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj-art-ef2ce256a0ee4876b85768ef83c048312025-08-20T03:33:27ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782025-07-011610.3389/fpsyg.2025.16012141601214When do employees feel isolated when working from home? Longitudinal trajectories, antecedents and outcomes of workplace isolation during the COVID-19 pandemicIlona Efimov0Annika Krick1Volker Harth2Jörg Felfe3Stefanie Mache4Institute for Occupational and Maritime Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, GermanyDepartment of Work, Organizational and Business Psychology, Helmut Schmidt University Hamburg/University of the Federal Armed Forces, Hamburg, GermanyInstitute for Occupational and Maritime Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, GermanyDepartment of Work, Organizational and Business Psychology, Helmut Schmidt University Hamburg/University of the Federal Armed Forces, Hamburg, GermanyInstitute for Occupational and Maritime Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, GermanyIntroductionPrevious longitudinal studies investigated loneliness in general populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Less is known about workplace isolation among employees working from home (WFH). Based on job demands-resources and conservation-of-resources theories, this study aims to analyze workplace isolation of employees WFH in relation to their WFH intensity.MethodsThis study examined the change in workplace isolation and WFH intensity over 5 measurement points of 512 employees using multilevel growth curve analysis (GCA), identified groups of participants with distinct trajectories of workplace isolation and WFH intensity using latent profile analysis (LPA), and investigated antecedents and consequences of profile membership.ResultsGCA indicated an overall negative linear and quadratic relationship between time and workplace isolation, as well as interaction effects between time and WFH intensity on workplace isolation. LPA identified 3 groups: (1) high WFH intensity and low isolation, (2) low WFH intensity and high isolation, (3) high WFH intensity and high isolation. Subsequent analyses revealed that individuals in profile 1 had high levels of health-oriented self-leadership (SelfCare) and social support by colleagues, and low levels of communication difficulties, health-oriented employee-leadership (StaffCare) and extraversion. Regarding differences, highest commitment was identified among individuals displaying low WFH intensity (profile 2), whereas highest self-rated performance was prevalent among individuals experiencing low workplace isolation (profile 1).DiscussionApplying GCA and LPA in this line of research is novel and adds to the understanding of both between-and within-effects of workplace isolation and WFH intensity. Knowledge about relevant resources (e.g., SelfCare) and demands (e.g., communication difficulties) may inform organizational practices aimed at preventing isolation in remote and hybrid work settings.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1601214/fullhealth-oriented leadershipperson-oriented approachremote worksocial relationships at workteleworkingworkplace isolation |
| spellingShingle | Ilona Efimov Annika Krick Volker Harth Jörg Felfe Stefanie Mache When do employees feel isolated when working from home? Longitudinal trajectories, antecedents and outcomes of workplace isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic Frontiers in Psychology health-oriented leadership person-oriented approach remote work social relationships at work teleworking workplace isolation |
| title | When do employees feel isolated when working from home? Longitudinal trajectories, antecedents and outcomes of workplace isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full | When do employees feel isolated when working from home? Longitudinal trajectories, antecedents and outcomes of workplace isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_fullStr | When do employees feel isolated when working from home? Longitudinal trajectories, antecedents and outcomes of workplace isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | When do employees feel isolated when working from home? Longitudinal trajectories, antecedents and outcomes of workplace isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_short | When do employees feel isolated when working from home? Longitudinal trajectories, antecedents and outcomes of workplace isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_sort | when do employees feel isolated when working from home longitudinal trajectories antecedents and outcomes of workplace isolation during the covid 19 pandemic |
| topic | health-oriented leadership person-oriented approach remote work social relationships at work teleworking workplace isolation |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1601214/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ilonaefimov whendoemployeesfeelisolatedwhenworkingfromhomelongitudinaltrajectoriesantecedentsandoutcomesofworkplaceisolationduringthecovid19pandemic AT annikakrick whendoemployeesfeelisolatedwhenworkingfromhomelongitudinaltrajectoriesantecedentsandoutcomesofworkplaceisolationduringthecovid19pandemic AT volkerharth whendoemployeesfeelisolatedwhenworkingfromhomelongitudinaltrajectoriesantecedentsandoutcomesofworkplaceisolationduringthecovid19pandemic AT jorgfelfe whendoemployeesfeelisolatedwhenworkingfromhomelongitudinaltrajectoriesantecedentsandoutcomesofworkplaceisolationduringthecovid19pandemic AT stefaniemache whendoemployeesfeelisolatedwhenworkingfromhomelongitudinaltrajectoriesantecedentsandoutcomesofworkplaceisolationduringthecovid19pandemic |