Working From Home is Harming Young Employees – They’re Starting to See That

This article from the New York Times written by Noam Scheiber examines research indicating that remote work is disproportionately hindering younger employees. Young professionals are experiencing a reduction in critical training and mentorship, with data showing that junior engineers, for example, receive 20% less feedback when working away from their teams. This lack of informal learning is contributing to higher unemployment among recent graduates and a slower track toward management roles, as remote settings make it harder to build the professional relationships necessary for advancement.

As a result, many young workers are proactively choosing to spend more time in the office to overcome feelings of isolation and ensure they remain visible to leadership for promotions.

“The economists acknowledge that working from home can increase productivity, as other studies have concluded, but argue that the benefits are concentrated among experienced workers. They also found that the quality of work can suffer in remote arrangements, especially for younger workers.”