Sustaining Support in Remote and Hybrid Work Environments: Organizational, Leader, and Peer Perspectives

Abstract: The expansion of remote and hybrid work following the COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally reshaped how organizations support employees beyond traditional, office-based environments. While remote work has demonstrated benefits related to flexibility, productivity, and talent retention, it has also exposed gaps in organizational, leadership, and peer support structures that were not designed for distributed workforces. This viewpoint paper synthesizes existing research on remote and hybrid work to examine how organizational support, leader support, and peer support function in virtual work contexts and why these forms of support are critical for employee onboarding, development, engagement, and performance. Drawing on the perceived organizational support framework and recent empirical findings, the paper identifies persistent challenges faced by remote workers, including reduced social connection, uneven access to resources, communication breakdowns, and limited development opportunities. Building on this synthesis, the paper offers actionable recommendations for organizational leaders to sustain and strengthen support systems as remote and hybrid work become enduring features of the modern workplace. By integrating research across disciplines and translating it into practical guidance, this paper contributes to the growing body of literature on remote work, providing leaders with evidence-informed strategies to enhance employee experience and organizational effectiveness in the next phase of remote and hybrid work.