Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity
As Hanlon's razor suggests, people seldom have malicious intent with their actions. But that doesn't mean their actions don't have harmful consequences. Being aware of these issues is the first step towards preventing them.
The uptick of project management methodologies is generally great for project efficiency. However, the danger of creating processes is that people get lost in the process. They can reduce people to mere machines carrying out work as efficiently as possible. Coupled with company culture that expects employees to reach absurdly high goals, this can lead to overtime culture seen in many startups. People are expected to stay late, work weekends, and do everything for the success of the company. This same problem arises in remote work: the lack of separation between work and home leaves employees without boundaries between the two (Savina, 2020).
This issue can be solved, both online and offline, by creating a culture where boundary setting is encouraged and respected. Leaders should lead by example by setting boundaries themselves and set clear communication guidelines for the team (Savina, 2020).
Next to sound work/life balance, the team itself can also be the cause of ethical issues. Numerous reports show that ethnically-, racially-, and gender-diverse teams outperform homogenous teams, as they bring more viewpoints to the table and make more innovative decisions (Rock and Grant, 2016). They are also more appreciative of different voices, which helps combat groupthink (Miranda, 1994), which in turn prevents the unintended ethical implications of a newly designed product from going unnoticed (Verbeek, 2006). Leaders should strive for diverse teams and facilitate a culture of inclusion, so that each voice is clearly heard.
Lastly, as discussed, the move to remote work poses several challenges regarding communication. It is more difficult for leaders to assess the (mental) state of their team members due to a lack of non-verbal cues and the added barrier to spontaneous conversation (Moran, 2020). Reflections should thus be held routinely and openly. Similarly, it is difficult for team members to assess the reaction to the things they share, allowing for more misunderstandings and disagreements (Johnson et al., 2002). Agreements should be made explicit, and questions should be welcomed widely.