Daily need experiences across office and remote workdays

Despite substantial scholarly interest in remote work, research has primarily examined its effects on well-being at a broader, between-person level, overlooking daily fluctuations in employees’ experiences across work locations. Drawing on self-determination theory, we investigate fluctuations in psychological need experiences and energy levels as a function of work location, distinguishing between office workdays and remote workdays. Data was collected from 187 employees three times per day over ten workdays, yielding a total of 2,933 diary entries. Results showed that remote working days were positively associated with daily autonomy satisfaction while negatively associated with daily relatedness satisfaction. Working remotely also yielded more stable energy levels throughout the day. Autonomy satisfaction was linked to lower energy decline, while autonomy and competence satisfaction also flattened the afternoon drop. Remote working days predicted higher energy in the afternoon and evening through autonomy satisfaction. While autonomy frustration increased energy depletion across the day, need frustration was unrelated to work location. This study advances understanding of hybrid work’s nuanced effects on daily well-being, emphasizing the particular importance of autonomy satisfaction in energy maintenance.