Remote Working Trends and Their Impact on Employee Performance and Organizational Productivity in Uganda

This article explores the effects of remote working on employee performance and organizational productivity. After the COVID-19 pandemic, some organizations integrated remote working into their organizational structures, systems, and processes, making the practices an integral part of service delivery. Uganda had one of the longest COVID-19 closures, and this stimulated the adoption of remote working in various organizations across sectors. Despite the adoption of remoting working in Uganda, there is limited understanding of its impact on employees’ performance and overall organizational productivity. The purpose of this study was to establish the state of remote working in Uganda, establish policy and regulatory gaps, and examine the impact of remote working practices on employee performance and overall organizational productivity. A mixed methods of data collection and analysis was used. Primary data was mainly collected using Survey Questionnaires (SQ) and Key Informant Interviews (KII), while secondary data was collected through an explorative Desk Review. A total of 314 employees responded to the study, of which 47.1% (148) were Female and 52.9% (166) Male. A significant number of respondents, 37.9% (119 individuals), were from the Trade and Business sector, followed by 26.4% (83) from Tourism, 24.8% (78) from ICT, and 12.1% from Education. The results showed that the majority of employees, 82.2% (258), across all sectors have experienced the shift to remote work due to COVID-19, of which over 60% indicated working remotely at least 1-3 days a week. The Information Communication Technology (ICT) leads in transition to remote work, with 29 out of 84 respondents indicating a complete transition to remote work. This is followed by Education and Finance with (12/84) and (5/84) indicating a complete shift. The main reasons for organizations to shift to remote work arrangements include COVID-19 (47.2%), Employee desire (42.5%), and cost savings (36.2%). The majority of employees (82.4%) indicated that remote work is effective in improving their productivity. The main tools used are video conferencing platforms (85.6%), collaboration technologies (49.4%), and cloud storage (48.7%). The majority of respondents (77.1%) were not aware of remote working policies in their organization, and over 65% of employees were satisfied with the remote work arrangement, with more females (41%) highlighting greater satisfaction. Generally, employees struggle with work-life balance due to remote work, given the blurred boundaries between office and private time. Only a significant number of employees in the private sector reported having achieved a work-life balance as a result of remote work, where 75/210 of the respondents. The majority of respondents from the private sector indicated that remote work has improved organizational productivity. Generally, organizations need to define clear policies and guidelines for remote work to promote work-life balance to minimize employee burnout, and address mental health challenges.