Journal of Management Research and Review (JMRR) · Research article · Open access
Remote and Hybrid Work After the Pandemic: A Narrative Review of HR Policy Design and Employee Outcomes
Syed Fatima Hussain, Mehmoona Akram, Raja Muneeb Anwar
22 August 2026 · Vol. 2, Issue 8, pp. 660-662
DOI: 10.65150/EP-jmrr/V2E8/2026-13
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What is this article about?
The mass adoption of remote and hybrid work following the COVID-19 pandemic has generated a large and fragmented body of research spanning human resource management, organisational psychology, and labour economics. This narrative review synthesises the published evidence on how remote work policy design shapes employee productivity, engagement, wellbeing, and retention.
Article at a glance
- Published
- 22 August 2026
- Volume / issue / pages
- Vol. 2, Issue 8, pp. 660-662
- ISSN
- 3051-3588 (online) · 3051-357X (print)
- Licence
- CC BY 4.0 — free to read and reuse with attribution
- Peer review
- Double-blind, at least two independent reviewers
- Publisher
- EP Journals Group
Abstract
The mass adoption of remote and hybrid work following the COVID-19 pandemic has generated a large and fragmented body of research spanning human resource management, organisational psychology, and labour economics. This narrative review synthesises the published evidence on how remote work policy design shapes employee productivity, engagement, wellbeing, and retention. Drawing on peer-reviewed studies published between 2015 and 2024, the review organises the literature around four policy dimensions: scheduling flexibility, performance management approach, communication structure, and wellbeing safeguards. Across studies, the evidence indicates that outcomes depend less on the presence of remote work than on how it is governed: autonomy-supportive scheduling and outcome-based evaluation are consistently associated with positive outcomes, whereas surveillance-heavy monitoring and unstructured communication are associated with distrust, burnout, and turnover intention. The review identifies persistent gaps — including a shortage of longitudinal designs, limited evidence from small and medium enterprises, and under-representation of non-Western contexts — and proposes an agenda for future research alongside evidence-based recommendations for HR practitioners designing durable hybrid work frameworks.
Keywords: remote work, hybrid work, human resource management, narrative review, employee wellbeing, performance management, flexible working
Cite this article
Syed Fatima Hussain, Mehmoona Akram, & Raja Muneeb Anwar (2026). Remote and Hybrid Work After the Pandemic: A Narrative Review of HR Policy Design and Employee Outcomes. Journal of Management Research and Review, 2(8), 660-662. https://doi.org/10.65150/EP-jmrr/V2E8/2026-13
@article{Syed2026,
title = {Remote and Hybrid Work After the Pandemic: A Narrative Review of HR Policy Design and Employee Outcomes},
author = {Syed Fatima Hussain and Mehmoona Akram and Raja Muneeb Anwar},
journal = {Journal of Management Research and Review},
year = {2026},
volume = {2},
number = {8},
pages = {660-662},
doi = {10.65150/EP-jmrr/V2E8/2026-13},
url = {https://doi.org/10.65150/EP-jmrr/V2E8/2026-13}
}Questions about this article
Who wrote this article?
Syed Fatima Hussain, Mehmoona Akram, Raja Muneeb Anwar.
Where and when was it published?
In Journal of Management Research and Review, Volume 2, Issue 8, pages 660-662, published by EP Journals Group on 22 August 2026.
Is this article free to read?
Yes. It is open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) licence, so anyone can read, share and reuse it with attribution.
What is the DOI of this article?
10.65150/EP-jmrr/V2E8/2026-13 (https://doi.org/10.65150/EP-jmrr/V2E8/2026-13).
How do I cite this article?
APA: Syed Fatima Hussain, Mehmoona Akram, & Raja Muneeb Anwar (2026). Remote and Hybrid Work After the Pandemic: A Narrative Review of HR Policy Design and Employee Outcomes. Journal of Management Research and Review, 2(8), 660-662. https://doi.org/10.65150/EP-jmrr/V2E8/2026-13
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