MIT Sloan Management Review Article on Why Time Signals Still Matter When Working Remotely

Pay attention to the signals you’re sending about time when managing remote workers during the coronavirus pandemic.

Managing remote workers is a challenge under the best of circumstances, but during the coronavirus pandemic, these challenges are amplified.

Employees tend to feel anxious working without the time signals they’re used to. Because they’re not as visible, employees look for ways to demonstrate that they’re engaged and available. If managers don’t explicitly address employees’ assumptions about time signals, it becomes harder for people to focus and get work done.

About the Author

Elana Feldman (@elanafeldman) is an assistant professor of management at the Manning School of Business at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Melissa Mazmanian is an associate professor of informatics at the School of Information and Computer Sciences and an associate professor of organization and management at the Paul Merage School of Management at the University of California, Irvine.

Learn more about MIT SMR.