TITLE:
Evidence of the Great Resignation: Remote Worker Engagement and Intent to Stay or Leave during the COVID-19 Pandemic
AUTHORS:
Susan Saurage-Altenloh, Franklin Mister Lartey, Phillip Melvin Randall, Tywanda Dynel Tate
KEYWORDS:
Remote Worker, Employee Engagement, Intent to Leave, Intent to Stay, Telework, COVID-19 Pandemic, Great Resignation
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Human Resource and Sustainability Studies,
Vol.11 No.3,
September
1,
2023
ABSTRACT: This study addresses remote workers’ engagement and their intent to leave or stay during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States. Data were collected through an online survey of 601 remote workers in the US. A structural equation model (SEM) was hypothesized to ascertain the relationship between remote employee engagement, intent to stay, and intent to leave. First, remote employee engagement was measured using EENDEED, a nine-item engagement instrument. Second, intent to stay was measured using a seven-item instrument, and third, intent to leave was measured using a three-item scale. The results of the SEM confirmed the existence of strong positive relationship between engagement and positive intent to stay, as well as intent to leave, suggesting that an increase by one standard point of remote employee engagement would result in an increase of positive intent to stay by .85 standard point, and an increase of intent to leave by .65 standard point. This research provided empirical evidence of the “Great Resignation” effect on engaged workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.