The impact of work intensification on remote worker wellbeing post-COVID-19

Abstract

The research problem addressed the relationship between work intensification and remote worker wellbeing in the post-COVID-19 environment. While remote work offers flexibility, the corresponding rise in job demands, digital accessibility expectations, and blurring boundaries risks negative employee outcomes like exhaustion and stress if sufficient job resources are not provided. This research aimed to investigate the mediating role of job resources on the impact of work intensification on remote worker wellbeing. The research adopted a deductive, positivist philosophy while employing the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model as theory. For the research methodology, a cross-sectional quantitative survey was administered to 211 eligible remote workers across diverse industries and geographical locations, mainly in Southern Africa. Existing scales were used to measure work intensification, job resources (organisational, social, and technology support), and multidimensional wellbeing (organisational, physical, and psychological), with statistical analysis including regression and mediation testing. The findings revealed that work intensification was significantly associated with structural factors, particularly senior managerial roles and employees located in resource-constrained African regions. The analysis validated that job resources partially mediate the negative relationship between work intensification and wellbeing. In particular, technology support emerged as the strongest and most consistent job resource, indicating significant associations across all dimensions of employee wellbeing (organisational, physical, and psychological). Conversely, traditional organisational and social support demonstrated limited psychological buffering capacity in the digital context. This hierarchy suggests a digital-resource adaptation of the JD-R model, emphasising technological adequacy as critical for maintaining remote worker resilience.