Remote workers face a specific kind of bias

A growing number of people are working out of the office. We’ve been socialized to view “reliable” workers as those most at their desks, so we often put a high value “face-time.” Companies like Microsoft have even included remote workers examples in their unconscious bias trainings. Research shows remote workers could be missing out on opportunities available only to in-office workers, because managers still value “face time” above all else — even when it doesn’t seem to have a direct effect on an individual employee’s performance. While the term “unconscious bias” is typically used to describe deeply engrained stereotypes about race, ethnicity, gender and other personal demographics, Elsbach says it can also apply to remote workers. Fighting the bias Remote workers and their managers can work together to ensure remote worker bias doesn’t poison a team dynamic, says Jennifer Moss, author of “Unlocking Happiness at Work.” She recommends managers set up regular “non-agenda” chats with remote employees, in this way kind of formalizing what would otherwise be an informal deskside talk.