The Conversation recently published an insightful article written by Dominika Wranik and Nachum Gabler which explores the distinct challenges faced by public sector employees in adapting to remote work.

The dispute last year between the federal Treasury Board and the Public Service Alliance of Canada over remote work arrangements raised a lot of questions about a one-size-fits-all approach. Remote work can improve motivation, performance and job satisfaction by giving workers more autonomy in how they go about their jobs. But there are also concerns that the benefits may dwindle over time due to the changes it causes in relationships between employees and organizations and workplace motivation. Potential downsides and costs must be weighed against any benefits.

An important question, which was likely absent from last year’s contract negotiations due to sparse and inconclusive empirical evidence, is how remote work will affect public service motivation. This particular drive leads many people to pursue careers in government or other public sector organizations like hospitals and universities.

Read the full article to learn more about what (little) we know about how remote work specifically impacts the public sector.