Digital divide: Coworker reactions to those working from home

Abstract

The prevalence of hybrid work arrangements, where some employees work from the office while others work from home (WFH), has risen because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using two online experiments, this research examines how coworkers react to those working from home. Data were collected from a convenience sample of undergraduate students in Study 1 (N = 200) and Canadian employees in Study 2 (N = 420). The results indicate that communal coworker relationships guard against negative reactions. The negative downstream effects of work-related spillover from WFH users onto nonusers are less (more) pronounced for coworkers with a communal (exchange) relationship due to higher levels of relationship norm conformity. Furthermore, coworkers in communal (exchange) relationships are more sensitive to interactional (distributive) unfairness, as it violates their respective relationship norms. Managers should emphasize building communal coworker relationships with a focus on effective coworker communication strategies to minimize nonusers’ negative reactions.