Understanding remote workers' job demands and resources and their implications for well- and ill-being: Development and validation of a new measure

Abstract

Drawing on the Job Demands-Resources model, this mixed-methods research aimed to better understand the nature, measurement, and psychological implications of remote work job demands and resources. Relying on a qualitative approach and on the existing literature, Study 1 allowed the identification and conceptualization of job demands and resources frequently experienced by remote workers. Studies 2 to 4 relied on quantitative cross-sectional designs to test the structural, criterion, discriminant, and incremental validity of the French and English versions of the Remote work Job Demands and Resources-Questionnaire (RJDR-Q). Results provided support for a final 30-item version measuring 10 remote work job demands (i.e., extended availability expectations, communication problems, social isolation, technological hassles, and personal interruptions) and resources (i.e., schedule flexibility, focused work, effective virtual communication, time-saving, and functionality of the remote work environment). Furthermore, findings revealed that these remote work job demands and resources (1) had significant associations with remote workers' psychological health and work–home experiences, (2) were, overall, weakly correlated with general job demands and resources, and (3) explained remote workers' functioning over and above general job demands and resources. Altogether, this research enriches our understanding of employees' subjective experience of remote work.