“They don’t work anyway”: Exploring stereotypes about people working from home

In light of the growing prevalence of working from home and the ongoing return-to-office debates, research has increasingly begun to focus on the biases faced by people working from home. However, the full range of stereotype content and the formation process underlying these stereotypes remain underexplored. Hence, this study addresses this gap by exploring the predominant stereotypes about people working from home, as held by individuals and society at large, and the formation of these stereotypes. We conducted 41 interviews with employees from various industries and institutions, representing a wide range of experience working from home and hierarchical levels. The interviews reveal the existence of – predominantly negative – stereotypes regarding different aspects such as scope of work, work behavior, work outcomes, appearance, well-being, as well as team dynamics and structure. Moreover, we identified multiple origins of these stereotypes, including external influences, public media, experiences, and observations. Beyond identifying these origins, our data also reveal reasons contributing to the formation of the stereotypes, such as emotional loading and working-from-home conditions. Integrating these findings, we developed a conceptual model that illustrates the dynamic process of stereotype formation. By exploring the stereotypes about people working from home and how they are formed, our study contributes to the literature on flexible work and stereotypes and extends the understanding of workplace bias. Understanding stereotypes about people working from home is crucial, as they can shape organizational collaboration, contribute to flexibility stigma, and have important psychological and societal consequences.