Last week, the internet exploded with a new attack on remote work, focused on the concept of "ghost employees" or workers who disappear from their responsibilities while still collecting a paycheck.

As someone who has spent the past six years helping remote teams be as effective as possible, I want to set the record straight. Here's the truth: ghost employees are an outlier, not the norm.

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The Real Problem

As I've said again and again, the far more common issue I encounter isn't underwork - it's overwork. Remote employees are often burning themselves out by being available at all hours.

Because they're at home, many remote workers blur boundaries: working while sick, checking emails first thing in the morning, and responding to notifications during personal time.

While their intentions are good (they value autonomy and want to prove their productivity outside the office), this overcommitment often leads to burnout and inefficiency. They quickly end up overextended, which leads to them sacrificing energy and focus. For most companies, burnout is the real problem that deserves your attention, not slacking.

But let's assume you're one of the rare companies where ghost employees are a genuine concern. The solution isn't surveillance or forcing everyone back to the office (RTO).

Surveillance fosters a culture of micromanagement, which worsens overwork and reduces trust. It shifts resources toward monitoring instead of solving underlying issues. RTO, on the other hand, provides cover for ghost employees by emphasizing presence over performance, making it easier to go unnoticed.

The reality is that remote work didn't create ghost employees. It simply exposed them. The real fix lies in addressing the root causes, not masking the symptoms.

A Company, Not a Worker, Problem

Here's the hard truth: if ghost employees are an issue in your organization, it's not a worker problem - it's a company problem.

There's a great question by Jerry Colonna, "How am I complicit in creating the conditions I say I don't want?".

It's a natural human tendency to want to grow, learn, and advance. If ghost employees are a real problem at a company, they've gone against this natural human tendency and created an environment that allows underperformance to thrive.

At any company with ghost employees, they:

• Hired the slacker
• Set the unclear expectations
• Relied on lazy management practices

The first step is to take some responsibility. Pinning the blame solely on individuals while continuing poor leadership practices won't fix the problem. Instead, these companies need to step up and recognize their role.

What To Do About It

The underperformance environment is a direct result of not understanding the accountability and judgment differences between remote and in-person. And not taking action to adapt to these changes.

For any company ready to take responsibility and address the root cause, here's how to move forward:

1. Update Your Hiring Practices

What worked in person does not work remotely. Utilizing resumes and standard interviews will not screen for the autonomy and initiative skills required to succeed on a remote team.

Instead, find ways to mimic the day-to-day work as much as possible, like incorporating paid hiring tests or trial periods to see candidates in action. This will help you find people who can thrive in environments where they must rely on self-initiative rather than peer pressure.

2. Set Clear Expectations

Make sure every team member has a Roles & Responsibilities doc detailing what they are accountable for. Ensure everyone understands how their performance is measured (and make sure you are incentivizing the right metrics).

Implement processes that build accountability into daily practices (ex. the my-week channel). Foster transparency into your virtual environment via tools and communication practices.

3. Train Managers to Lead Distributed Teams

Leading a distributed team requires an entirely different skill set. Make sure your leaders are equipped with the knowledge and strategies needed to build trust, facilitate clear communication, and encourage seamless collaboration in a remote environment.

Support them by developing company systems that enable specific goal setting, well-defined deliverables, and realistic timelines. With the right training and infrastructure, leaders can effectively guide teams even across distances.

4. Address Hiding Spots

You might be tempted to add in more meetings to stop the ghosting. This won't help. Meetings are an excellent place for underperformance to thrive. They focus on talking about the work rather than doing the work.

Instead, audit meetings regularly to evaluate whether the time could be better spent elsewhere. Implementing asynchronous communication is a great way to increase transparency.

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Notice how none of these action steps add unnecessary pressure to employees who aren't ghosting. They avoid micromanaging or invasive surveillance, which would worsen the overwork problem by creating anxiety and reducing trust.

Instead, these steps focus on fostering a culture of autonomy, transparency, and effective collaboration. This ensures that the solutions address the root cause of ghost employees without punishing or overburdening the rest of the hardworking team members.

Ignoring this and falling for the ghost employee narrative only worsens the real issue. Focus on fixing the system, and you'll create an environment where slacking can't take root.

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TLDR

Ghost employees are an outlier, not the norm. If ghost employees are an issue in your organization, it's not a worker problem - it's a company problem. Surveillance and RTO will only worsen trust and burnout.

Instead, take responsibility to fix hiring, set clear expectations, train managers for remote leadership, and eliminate bad meetings.

By fostering a culture of autonomy and accountability, organizations can build an environment that prevents slacking without punishing hardworking employees.

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Quote of the Week

- Jerry Colonna​

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In Other News

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Amir Salihefendić @amix3k When I started building Todoist 17+ years ago, remote work was a niche experiment, and async communication was a computer science term. Today, they're at the heart of how we, and many others, operate. Here are the lessons that have stuck with me through almost two decades of… https://x.com/i/web/status/1859688475336876288 1:0 PM • Nov 21, 2024 12 Retweets 61 Likes Read 1 replies

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​Linear: move fast with little process​
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What did you think of this issue? What do you hope to see in the next one? Hit reply and let me know. I read every response. I truly appreciate you taking the time to read this. Hope you have a lovely day! Marissa ​Founder, Remote Work Prep​ P.S. Did you enjoy this issue? Share the article with a friend. Struggling with a remote work problem? Book a coaching call. If you liked this, consider supporting this free newsletter by leaving a testimonial. ​

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