The surge in layoffs in the tech industry and other sectors has exposed the challenges of remote and hybrid working, with virtual job cuts proving to be lonelier and more stressful than in-person layoffs.
Thousands of workers are being laid off from their homes, losing immediate access to communication with colleagues.
In January 2022 alone, 58,000 tech sector workers have already lost their jobs, according to Crunchbase News, and around 140,000 were let go in the preceding year.
The advent of virtual and hybrid work has brought with it a new reality for employees facing job loss.
The loneliness and isolation that remote workers often experience are amplified when layoffs happen virtually, with office goodbyes replaced by cold digital exits.
Employees who lose their jobs remotely may feel more disconnected than those whose pink slips came in person, no longer able to drop by colleagues' desks or have lunch with them, or to commiserate in person with fellow laid-off workers.
According to The New York Times, as soon as the layoffs are announced, the targeted workers lose immediate access to email, Slack, and company systems.
The emotional fallout of the remote layoff is compounded when workers are spending more time online, as virtual work makes it harder to detach from work-related communications.
Many find it difficult to separate their personal and work lives, leading to increased anxiety and a sense of being overwhelmed.
An article in Forbes, however, suggests that remote job cuts may at least mitigate some of the negative effects that can come from in-person layoffs.
Remote workers who have lost their jobs don't have to worry about the stigma attached to packing up their desk and leaving their workplace in a hurry, nor the drawn-out commutes that often go hand in hand with traditional office culture.
Some experts have also argued that the shift to remote work has widened the pool of talent companies can hire from, which ultimately benefits everyone.