Remote work has flourished in the post-pandemic world, revealing both benefits and drawbacks for employees. Where extant theory has delineated numerous positive consequences of remote work, its negative effects are less well understood despite emerging recognition that remote work can also disrupt the work-home boundary. Integrating boundary theory with theories of work autonomy, I develop a theoretical model accounting for both effects, suggesting that the jobs in which remote working is more accessible are also the jobs in which it is less satisfying. Specifically, I propose that autonomy moderates the effects of remote working frequency on job satisfaction. Across one large-scale longitudinal study (Study 1) and one field quasi-experiment (Study 2), I find that in higher-autonomy jobs, individuals experience reduced satisfaction the more they work remotely. In contrast, in lower-autonomy jobs, individuals experience more satisfaction the more they work remotely. Study 2 further establishes that changes in decision making loads involving boundary management mediate these effects. Results ironically suggest that the job conditions that facilitate remote work also make it less satisfying, pointing to important implications for boundary theory and job design for remote work.
Keywords: remote work, autonomy, boundary theory, job satisfaction