Access, Trust, and Care in Remote Work

After a year of being engaged with Roots & Rivers as an ecosystem member, Adishi Gupta joined the team as full-time staff member in September 2025. In this blog post, she shares insights into her job search, transitioning into this new role and settling into the rhythms of a regular work week at our remote organization.

As a neurodivergent person living with invisible, chronic disabilities, navigating the job market was an excruciating process for a number of reasons. One of the reasons was because I was searching for workplaces that were either fully remote or offered meaningful flexibility and autonomy.

Marcie Hawranik, the founder and CEO of Canadian Equality Consulting (CEC) and Equality 360, writes about how hybrid and remote work has been a “game-changer” for many employees with disabilities due to the removal of barriers like commuting, unmet accommodations in office environments, and rigid scheduling. Research looking at the shifts to remote work that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic found that more people with disabilities were able to enter and thrive in the workforce. According to an SSHRC review of over two thousand research papers, remote work contributes to “improved well-being.” Despite this, it was disheartening to see that many organizations had confusing or exclusionary rules around remote work backed by justifications like “actual work only gets done at the office.” 

However, implementing a blanket remote work policy without consideration for people's realities can be harmful. Remote work assumes that everyone has access to a safe and quiet space, reliable internet, and the technology necessary to do their work. It is important that organizations approach remote work policies with intention and accountability, ensuring that it doesn’t reproduce existing inequities around income, housing, or access to technology.

As many return to in-person work after years of remote work prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, I have been reflecting on my experience of beginning this next phase of my career with a remote business.

Remote-First Organizations Are Built on Trust

Remote-first workplaces operate from a culture of trust. They recognize that stepping away from your desk for fifteen minutes to tend to personal needs does not mean a lack of focus or commitment. It signals that employees are full human beings with responsibilities and priorities beyond their work output.

For neurodivergent people and those living with chronic disabilities, this trust can be life-changing. The flexibility to manage energy levels, accommodate medical needs, or simply work in a sensory environment that supports concentration can be transformative.

The Accessibility of Remote Work

Remote work can make employment more accessible for people who might otherwise face barriers like commuting challenges, sensory sensitivities, and scheduling challenges to manage health or caregiving. It also opens doors for people in rural or remote areas where job opportunities are limited.

​​Moreover, for those of us living with chronic fatigue or fluctuating energy levels, the ability to adapt our work environment is deeply affirming. On days when my energy is low, working in bed is a practical and compassionate adjustment that allows me to keep contributing meaningfully without pushing past my limits. This kind of flexibility acknowledges that honoring the differences in how we function best benefits everyone.

The Challenge of Connection

Remote work can also be challenging. The lack of spontaneous conversations and shared physical spaces can make it harder to feel part of a team. Building trust, connection, and shared culture in a remote-first organization requires intentionality. It means making time for informal check-ins, being explicit about values and expectations, and practicing care in digital communication. For a team spread across different time zones within Canada, this coordination takes even more care and intentionality.

A Balancing Act

Disability advocates have long reminded us that accommodations created for specific needs—like flexible hours, asynchronous communication, or remote options—don’t just serve those who need them most. They make spaces more humane and adaptable for everyone. As Hawranik writes, designing for equity helps leaders retain top talent, strengthen engagement and trust, and build cultures that work for everyone.

Remote work is not a perfect solution, but it is a powerful one. It comes with freedom and responsibility, flexibility and isolation. For me, it has created the conditions for meaningful, sustainable work that aligns with my needs and values. It also continues to help me unlearn ableist, capitalist and colonial ideas of productivity and success. 

Most importantly, working in a remote-first organization has helped me understand what I need to do my best work — flexibility and trust.

Roots & Rivers is a remote-first organization that is committed to ongoing learning about how to make the way we work accessible and fulfilling. Through practices and policies like monthly health & safety meetings, tech and equipment allowances for home work spaces, access to co-working spaces, and ongoing team connections, we are committed to making remote work more equitable and sustainable. How is your organization navigating remote work?