Remote and Hybrid Working are arrangements in which an employee completes their duties of work from a primary location as well as somewhere else, entirely remotely, offsite or a mixture of all three. Remote and Hybrid Working arrangements have become increasingly widely used following the Coronavirus Pandemic, during which workers were obliged to transition to longterm work-from-home arrangements, such as in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, which maintained this arrangement for one of the longest durations in the world. Remote and Hybrid Working arrangements were used before the pandemic where workers were unable to travel to their primary jobsites and so used technology to attend to their duties - examples of which include workers on isolated jobsites, workers in data centers, workers out at sea, and historically during the OPEC fuel crises when such measures where first considered (Nilles et. al., 1976).
Remote and Hybrid working arrangements require employers to consider the organisation of work tasks, the provision of equipment and assets to workers, and how workers in remote arrangements are supported during their work duties. This requires a deliberate and structured appraisal of the tasks being delegated, the competencies required to complete those tasks, and the extent to which those tasks can be performed safely without direct supervision or immediate access to colleagues. Poorly designed remote work is a predictor of strain and reduced performance. Meta-analytic evidence indicates that while remote work can improve job satisfaction and perceived autonomy, it is also associated with role ambiguity and work intensification when task boundaries are unclear ( Mühl et. al., 2025). Employers must ensure that work allocation is realistic, that expectations are clearly communicated, and that workers have access to the same quality of information, training, instruction, and supervision that would be available in a traditional workplace. This includes establishing clear communication pathways, defining escalation processes, and ensuring that workers understand how to access support when challenges arise. The organisation of work in remote contexts must therefore be intentional, transparent, and responsive to the dynamic nature of distributed work environments.
Workers should be provided with appropriate equipment and assets to facilitate remote work. These assets should be selected and issued with consideration for ergonomic suitability, task‑specific requirements, and the sustainability of long‑term use in a non‑traditional environment. This may include computers, monitors, keyboards, pointing devices, seating, and other physical equipment, as well as digital tools such as secure communication platforms, remote‑access systems, and software needed to perform core duties. During the pandemic, more than 70% of home-based workers internationally reported using non-adjustable furniture not designed for prolonged work, a factor strongly associated with increased musculoskeletal symptoms (Oakman et al., 2020). Where specialised equipment is required such as job-specific peripherals, environmental controls, or assistive technologies, these should be assessed and provided on the basis of need, risk, and the principles of reasonably practicable control. Employers must also ensure that equipment is maintained, replaced when necessary, and supported by clear guidance on safe setup and use, recognising that the home or remote environment may not inherently support optimal working conditions without deliberate intervention; ongitudinal evidence demonstrates that inadequate home workstation design is associated with increased neck, shoulder, and upper-limb disorders over time (Chim & Chen, 2023)
Where workers are working remotely in any capacity, they are physically separated from their teams, office, and management. The lack of physical presence can negatively impact performance, which can give rise to stress which may in turn be exacerbated for workers who are not able to access support. This separation can also diminish opportunities for informal communication, reduce the immediacy of feedback, and create uncertainty around expectations, priorities, and role clarity. Workers may experience feelings of isolation, reduced connectedness to organisational culture, and diminished visibility of their contributions, all of which can influence psychological safety and wellbeing, where professional isolation is significantly associated with lower job performance and organisational commitment in remote workers (Wang et. al., 2020). To mitigate these risks, employers must implement structured communication practices, ensure regular and meaningful contact between workers and supervisors, and provide accessible avenues for technical, operational, and interpersonal support, where remote work arrangements with structured managerial support can maintain or improve productivity while reducing turnover, whereas unsupported arrangements produce the opposite effect (Choi, 2018).
Each workplace is different, with different demands, methods of business, and is staffed by people whose capacities, needs, and risk profiles are different. Managing ergonomic, environmental, and occupational health and safety challenges requires a business to examine and engage with the ecosystem of factors that give rise to risk, and how that risk may affect people. Each workplace is different and so sometimes the same problem will require different solutions. This applies to workers as well - every person is different and so may require different support, supervision, or resources to perform comfortably and sustainably. Under Work Health and Safety law, consultation with the workforce, the control of risk as far as is reasonably practicable, and the provision of information, training, instruction and support to the worker by the workplace, is essential to meet obligations to provide workers with a workplace that is as free of risk as far is reasonably practicable.
In our capacity as consultants, Atlas Physio will explore and scope the business and its needs, examining how exposures, risks, and processes contribute to the hazard ecosystem, best inform the design and arrangement of procedural, policy-based, and practical risk controls. Our solutions are tailored to the needs of those with whom we work, implemented in a simple, sustainable, and supportive fashion, designed to be robust and resilient, and to support the ongoing life of the business as well as the sustainable wellbeing of the workers who undertake the day to day activities of work.
At Atlas Physio, we provide reporting, structured control, and ongoing management of risk onsite, on the road, and wherever work is done. We are open seven days a week, and are happy to offer a brief complimentary discussion to explore the needs of your business and your workers if you are an employer, and your needs if you are a worker. Reach out today to arrange a discussion and take the first step toward managing risk and working safely, supported by expertise that is practical, reliable, and designed to deliver lasting results.
References
Chim, J. M., & Chen, T. L. (2023). Prediction of work from home and musculoskeletal discomfort: an investigation of ergonomic factors in work arrangements and home workstation setups using the COVID-19 experience. International journal of environmental research and public health, 20(4), 3050.
Choi, S. (2018). Managing flexible work arrangements in government: Testing the effects of institutional and managerial support. Public Personnel Management, 47(1), 26-50.
Mühl, A., Schöllbauer, J., Straus, E., & Korunka, C. (2025). Threatening relatedness while boosting social interactions: the inconsistent effect of daily task ambiguity on daily relatedness satisfaction among remote workers. The International Journal of human resource managemenT, 36(1), 56-79.
Nilles, J. M., Carlson, F. R., Gray, P., & Hanneman, G. (1974). Telecommunications-transportation tradeoffs (No. Final Rpt.).
Oakman, J., Kinsman, N., Stuckey, R., Graham, M., & Weale, V. (2020). A rapid review of mental and physical health effects of working at home: how do we optimise health?. BMC public health, 20(1), 1825.
Wang, W., Albert, L., & Sun, Q. (2020). Employee isolation and telecommuter organizational commitment. Employee Relations: The International Journal, 42(3), 609-625.