“Remind me; where do I work?” Remote working during a time of change; A Technostress perspective

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated major changes in the way we work, disrupting long established practices and creating new norms. Thus, an opportune moment to examine the interruptive nature of virtual meetings in predicting technostress (techno-overload, techno-invasion & techno-complexity) and wider outcomes of work-family conflict, job satisfaction and performance, among remote workers. Study 1 is a longitudinal correlational study, with a matched sample of 202 participants across T1-T3. Study 2, a cross-sectional mixed methods field study, with quantitative and qualitative survey questions, from 223 participants. With a focus on organisations from the UK legal and construction sectors. Structural equation modelling was applied to the quantitative data in both studies, while the qualitative data was analysed thematically. Study 1 found virtual meetings interruptions were a significant antecedent to technostress, that meetings can be stressful when disrupting daily workflow. Technostress mediated the relationship between meeting interruptions and work-family conflict. Peer support was a significant moderator, buffering the impact of meeting interruptions on techno-invasion. This implies that support from colleagues can reduce stress and help manage workload. Study 2 also found that meeting interruptions significantly predicted technostress. Peer support, however, was not a significant moderator in Study 2. The thematic analysis revealed that the boundaries between work and home were blurred for remote workers, particularly where space for a designated home office was lacking. Furthermore, the office was seen as a valuable resource for building relationships and feeling supported. This research makes several theoretical and practical contributions. It extends conceptual understanding of technostress in remote workers and appeals for remote jobs to be designed appropriately, through the application of work design theory. In terms of practical contributions, this research highlights gaps in training and development to help remote workers manage digital interruptions, to minimise technostress and work-family conflict.