Work From Home and Employee Well-being



                                                            image:  https://share.google/teJbUgqa1LaGTQnXc 

The trend of remote work, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, has significantly changed how organizations operate. While work from home offers flexibility, it also generates new challenges for employee well-being. This shift has brought a new issue for Human Resource Management, and organizations now have to adopt new ways to support their workforce. With the world crisis situation arose around Iran recently, Sri Lankan workforce is also encouraged to practice work from home procedures. Therefore, I think it would be an important topic to discuss in the current times.

From an HRM viewpoint, work from home can be explained through the Job Demand – Resources (JD-R) model. According to Dong et al. (2025), this theory suggests that job resources, such as flexibility and autonomy, can enhance motivation and well-being, while job demands, such as workload and isolation, can lead to stress and burnout. Authors also mention that work from home acts as both a resource and a demand. They further explain that employees benefit from reduced commuting time and greater control over their schedules, and at the same time, they may experience social isolation, blurred work-life boundaries, and increased work-family conflicts. This dual nature is explained in the article as “double-edged sword”.




Leadership and HRM play a crucial role in managing these challenges. According to Al-Fawareh (2025), effective leadership can reduce digital stress and promote well-being by providing support, communication, and clear expectations. Further, Brazzale et al. (2025) suggest that HRM strategies that focus on employee well-being are increasingly important, as they directly influence both individual performance and overall organizational success.

From my personal experience as someone who balances academic work and employment, I find that the flexibility is one of the biggest advantages of work from home. However, I also notice that it can be difficult to separate work from personal life. This leads to stress, especially during busy periods such as assignments and presentations. This, I think, highlights the importance of structured schedules and support from workplace.

In conclusion, while work from home offers significant benefits, it also creates challenges for employee well-being. HR professionals must adopt balanced strategies that maximize resources while minimizing demands to ensure a healthy and effective workforce. 



References

·         Al-Fawareh, H. F. (2025). Leadership-Driven Digital Wellbeing in Remote HR Environments: A JD-R Based Conceptual Framework for Enhancing Employee Resilience and Engagement. https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5441133

·         Brazzale, P., Hurd, F., Nicholson, A. & Ravenswood, K. (2025). HR practices and the well-being of a marginalized workforce: a review of home health care worker well-being research. Management Review Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11301-025-00535-3

·         Dong, Jj., Tan, Zd., Zhang, YI., Sun, Y. & Huang, Y. (2025). Work from home and employee well-being: a double-edged sword. BMC Psychol 13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02994-5

Comments

  1. E.M SampathMarch 30, 2026 at 9:38 AM

    I generally prefer to go to work because I feel more at ease and productive there. Employee opinions must be taken into account when organizations make decisions; otherwise, discontent may develop and have a detrimental effect on productivity.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Chandima KarunarathneApril 20, 2026 at 1:43 AM

      Thank you for sharing your perspective. I agree that individual preferences are very important, as some employees feel more productive and comfortable in a physical workplace. Considering employee opinions when making decisions is essential to avoid dissatisfaction and maintain productivity. This is why flexible approaches, like hybrid work, can be more effective.

      Delete
  2. Hasanath FaqeehaMarch 30, 2026 at 11:51 AM

    Nice post! I really liked how you described Work from Home as a “double-edged sword” using the JD-R model flexibility is good, but isolation and blurred boundaries can cause stress (Dong et al., 2025).

    This is very relevant in Sri Lanka right now, especially with more companies asking people to work from home again.

    From what I see, many employees enjoy the flexibility but struggle to separate work from personal life. Simple things like clear core hours, regular team check-ins, and encouraging breaks can help a lot.

    Your personal experience about balancing studies and work is very relatable!

    What do you think is the biggest challenge for Sri Lankan employees doing WFH- isolation, blurred boundaries, or something else?Looking forward to your thoughts!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Chandima KarunarathneApril 20, 2026 at 1:42 AM

      Thank you for your thoughtful comment. I agree that practices like core hours and regular check-ins are very helpful.

      In my view, the biggest challenge for Sri Lankan employees is blurred work–life boundaries. People often end up working longer hours at home, which can lead to stress. While isolation is an issue, I think it can be managed more easily through communication.

      Overall, simple strategies can make a big difference in supporting well-being.

      Delete
  3. Razi JalaldeenMarch 30, 2026 at 8:30 PM

    If you can add related multi Media components would be great. Try to relate your discussion to Sri Lanka, your industry, or your company.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Chandima KarunarathneApril 20, 2026 at 1:40 AM

      Thank you so much professor for your kind insights. I will try my best to accommodate these suggestion in the future blog posts.

      Delete
  4. Ashan WimalasurendraApril 4, 2026 at 8:53 AM

    Interesting article! It clearly highlights how working from home can improve flexibility and work-life balance, which are key to employee wellbeing . Do you think hybrid work is the best approach to maximise these benefits while reducing challenges like isolation?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Chandima KarunarathneApril 20, 2026 at 1:39 AM

      Thank you for your thoughtful comment. Yes, I do think a hybrid work model can be a very effective approach. It allows employees to benefit from flexibility while still maintaining social interaction and collaboration at the workplace. This balance can help reduce issues like isolation while supporting overall well-being.

      Delete
  5. Madavi HemachandraApril 13, 2026 at 12:09 AM

    This is a very relevant topic in today’s workplace. The way you have balanced both the positive and challenging sides of working from home is impressive. The personal reflection shared makes the discussion even more relatable and highlights the real importance of employee well being and organizational support.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Chandima KarunarathneApril 20, 2026 at 1:38 AM

      Thank you for your kind feedback. I’m glad you found the topic relevant. I agree that balancing the benefits and challenges of working from home is very important, especially when it comes to employee well-being. It’s definitely an area that organizations need to focus on more.

      Delete
  6. Saranga WijesingheApril 20, 2026 at 10:43 AM

    This article offers a valuable perspective on the flexibility of remote work, though it is crucial to balance this autonomy with clear boundaries to prevent digital burnout. While productivity often rises at home, maintaining a distinct "switch-off" time is essential for long-term employee wellbeing and sustained engagement.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Chandima KarunarathneApril 21, 2026 at 10:34 AM

      Thank you, that’s a very important point about boundaries.

      I agree that flexibility in remote work only becomes sustainable when there are clear “switch-off” structures in place. Without that, employees often remain mentally connected to work even after official hours, which gradually leads to digital fatigue and burnout.

      From an HR perspective, this means organizations need to move beyond simply allowing remote work and instead actively define expectations around availability, response times, and after-hours communication. Even simple practices like no-message time blocks or respecting offline hours can make a meaningful difference.

      So, the real balance is not just flexibility, but structured flexibility, where autonomy is supported by clear boundaries that protect employee wellbeing in the long term.

      Delete
  7. S Adam- E297385April 20, 2026 at 9:32 PM

    This is a very thought-provoking discussion on work from home and employee wellbeing that clearly highlights how flexibility and autonomy can improve work-life balance, while also bringing challenges such as isolation and blurred boundaries between work and personal life.
    However, how can HR effectively maximize the wellbeing benefits of remote work while minimizing risks like burnout, isolation, and reduced team connection?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Chandima KarunarathneApril 21, 2026 at 10:35 AM

      Thank you, this is the key design question behind effective remote work.

      HR can maximize wellbeing in remote work by treating it as a structured system, not an informal arrangement.

      First, setting clear boundary policies is essential, defined working hours, response-time expectations, and “no-contact” periods help prevent burnout and always-on pressure.

      Second, HR should actively reduce isolation through planned team interaction, not just optional meetings. Regular check-ins, virtual collaboration routines, and hybrid in-person gatherings help maintain connection.

      Third, performance management should shift from “visibility” to outcomes-based evaluation, so employees are not forced to overwork just to appear active.

      Finally, managers play a critical role in monitoring workload and wellbeing through regular conversations, not just task tracking.

      So the balance comes from combining flexibility with intentional structure and human connection, rather than leaving remote work completely self-managed.

      Delete
  8. Lakmina LiyanahettiApril 21, 2026 at 11:06 AM

    This is a clear application of the JD–R model, showing well how work from home can simultaneously function as a job resource (flexibility, autonomy) and a job demand (isolation, blurred boundaries). The key HRM insight is that employee well-being in remote work depends less on the arrangement itself and more on how leadership and HR design support, structure, and communication around it.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Reward Systems for Supply Chain Compliance – Aligning HR with Customs Regulations

Image
  Customs compliance is usually discussed in legal terms – penalties, audits, seizure notices. But here is an HR question rarely asked: what do logistics employees  gain  from being compliant? In most Sri Lankan freight forwarding and trading companies, the answer is "nothing." Compliance is invisible. Errors are punished. There is no reward system for doing things right. The HR problem From a  reward management  perspective, organizations get the behavior they reward. If a logistics officer processes 200 declarations with zero compliance errors but receives the same bonus as a colleague with 20 errors, the message is clear: accuracy does not matter. This is a structural failure of performance-based reward. Theoretical lens – Expectancy theory Vroom's Expectancy Theory  (1964) explains that employee motivation depends on three beliefs: Effort → Performance  – Will trying harder actually improve my compliance accuracy? Performa...
Read more

Succession Planning in Sri Lanka's Freight Forwarding Industry – An Ageing Workforce

Image
  Walk into any established freight forwarding office in Colombo. Look at the senior management team. Now look at the junior staff. The age gap is striking. Many senior managers are in their late 50s or 60s, having built their careers over three decades. Below them are young workers in their 20s and early 30s. The middle layer, experienced professionals in their 40s, is remarkably thin. This is not a coincidence. It is a  succession planning crisis . The nature of the problem Sri Lanka's freight forwarding industry expanded rapidly in the 1980s and 1990s following economic liberalization. Those pioneers are now retiring. Meanwhile, the industry struggled to attract mid-career talent due to: Relatively low starting salaries compared to other private sector employments Perception of logistics as a "blue-collar" field Migration of experienced professionals overseas post 2022 economic crisis The result? When senior managers retire, there is no ...
Read more