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Faceless colleagues sparking office mistrust
Do you know the person sitting next to you?

By Jo Best

Published: Monday 17 May 2004

Businesses that don’t consider the implications of remote workers could be creating an atmosphere of mistrust in their businesses, according to new research.

A survey from effectiveness consultancy Priority Management for Microsoft has shown that more and more people are working with people they've never actually met – so-called 'invisible workers' – and feel that they're not working as effectively as they could be.

Of those surveyed, 82 per cent had an invisible colleague and 84 per cent thought they worked better with those they dealt with on a face-to-face basis. It looks like the remote working may be contributing to a more impersonal atmosphere in the UK workplace, with a third of workers knowing fewer than five of their colleagues really well and six per cent confessing they didn't even know their closest colleague's birthday.

While remote workers might miss out on some of the social benefits that their in-house colleagues have, there are productivity benefits to be had. A remote worker doesn't have to deal with the same interruptions as an office worker, for example, but can miss out on opportunities to collaborate.

Michael Beasley, MD of training organisation Priority Management, said that a more formal approach, with regular team updates and the right training and policies put in place, could help to bridge the virtual worker divide.

It's not just regular office workers who can suffer, he added: "Remote workers can become obsessed with their work – they don't have the same clean break between their home and their office."