The ongoing pandemic has been stressful in part because it has stripped people of their autonomy — consider the looming physical health risks, the uncontrollability of future layoffs and furloughs, constraints on physical movement, and mandatory work from home arrangements. Understanding how employees recover their sense of autonomy, and which employees may be better or worse equipped to recover promptly, is crucial for understanding the ongoing impact of Covid-19 on the workforce. Research shows that, remarkably, employees regained a large portion of their autonomy in a relatively short amount of time after changes to work began, even though the situation neither subjectively nor objectively improved. In particular, those who recovered their sense of autonomy fastest were those that scored high on neuroticism. Given these learnings, there are steps individuals, managers, and organizations can take to retain and even gain an increased sense of autonomy over time.
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The coronavirus pandemic has wrought unprecedented levels of personal and professional upheaval upon many employees. It may irrevocably transform how we work, communicate, eat, shop, date, and travel. Clearly, these are not “normal” times. And yet, society continues to move forward.
