Employee explains why compulsory custom at new workplace turned out to be the biggest green flag

Remote work has become increasingly popular and widespread since the pandemic. Besides, it offers several benefits for both employees and employers. However, to ensure productivity and well-being, it is vital to establish a supportive work environment for remote workers. One TikTok user, Jen (@jenbigg_), shared her experience of feeling supported as she worked from home. She discussed an interesting practice at her workplace and said it made her hopeful about the future of remote work. It is a new job for Jen and usually, a new job brings anxiety about understanding one's work and workplace expectations. She expressed her excitement about her work in a video that has garnered over 207k views since Jen posted it on May 16.

“The recruiters, the hiring managers and the interviewers can say one thing, but real lived-out culture and workplace environment can be very different,” she said. “But I found out yesterday something that was just like the biggest green flag and it makes me super excited.” She revealed finally that everyone at her office is supposed to put their slack status as inactive. It removes the pressure of being seen online and active all the time. According to Jen, this promotes a healthy work culture. She further explains in her video, “It’s a requirement, it’s like asked of everyone to make sure that you’re always set as inactive, and it’s to remove the pressure and stress of feeling like you need to be green all the time.”

“One of the biggest stressors with remote work is feeling like you need to be available and actively working at all times,” Jen said. “This policy is to remove the pressure and stress of feeling like you need to be green all the time like you can’t step away from the desk like you need to be working when your manager is.” “I feel like it should be the norm for remote work environments,” she added.

Many TikTok users commented on Jen's video and shared their own experiences. @jly4792 commented, "No one ever told me I needed to be green all the time, but my subconscious does lol." @MargieP commented, "They should just get rid of the status completely tbh. It stresses me out." @ro4realtho commented, "I love that! I feel self-conscious about even going to the restroom sometimes." @Courtney commented, "It's so refreshing working for a company w/healthy culture, I just started a new remote job & it's such a surreal feeling not having work anxiety. Congrats."

As remote work offers a supportive work environment, many people are opting for it, according to new recent research. A study by Stanford University stated that remote workers experienced a 13% increase in performance. Additionally, a survey by Buffer in 2020 found that 98% of remote workers would like to continue working remotely, at least some of the time, for the rest of their careers. Moreover, to add to the productivity of their employees, other workplaces can also become flexible about having their employees online all the time.

You can follow Jen (@jenbigg_) on TikTok for more lifestyle content.

This article originally appeared on 5.31.23.