Many organizations, worried about drops in morale and productivity, are calling employees back to the office, ranging from the federal government to nearly half of all private Canadian companies, according to a Mercer study.
Employees, having experienced the flexibility of remote work, are reluctant to give it up.
Cost is an additional factor: Â a year to go to the office full-time.
In this context, a published in the peer-reviewed journal Personal Psychology and led by Ravi Gajendran, offers insight into the impact of remote work.
Gajendran analyzes 108 studies involving 45,288 participants on the effects of remote work intensity on employees (how often they work remotely) and remote work use comparing remote workers to their office-based counterparts across 62 studies.
The findings show that remote work has small but beneficial effects on several critical employee outcomes.
Remote work boosts job satisfaction and commitment to organizations. The flexibility of remote work also allows employees to better manage their work-life balance, leading to positive attitudes toward their jobs and employers.
Remote work also enhances employees’ feelings of support from their organizations, likely from increased communication and support mechanisms which makes workers feel more valued.
Supervisors , dispelling the myth that remote employees are less productive.
Moreover, remote work reduces employees’ intentions to leave their jobs. The flexibility and autonomy of remote work serve as powerful retention tools.
Despite the overall positive findings, the analysis did uncover one significant downside to remote work — loneliness.
As employees spend more days working remotely, they tend to feel isolated which can negatively impact their overall well-being.
New research on mental health in remote work, however, provides a nuanced perspective.
, which analyzed data from more than five million mental health questionnaires across multiple U.S. states, highlights the positive influence of workplace flexibility on mental well-being.
This study found that states with a higher percentage of firms offering flexible work arrangements exhibited considerably lower rates of depression and suicide risk.
The correlation was particularly robust in 2023, a fully post-pandemic year, pointing to better mental health outcomes from remote and hybrid work.
The research also suggests that while feelings of isolation may have been prevalent during the enforced social isolation of the pandemic, these feelings likely diminished as people began to re-engage with social, civic, and community activities.
And organizations can address isolation through interventions such as virtual check-ins, team-building activities, and opportunities for in-person interactions whenever possible.
The study also found that flexibility in work arrangements can reduce stress by alleviating the pressures associated with commuting, rigid schedules, and a work-life imbalance.
Control over work schedules also contributes to higher job satisfaction and overall well-being. Whatever negative effects may come from feelings of isolation among some remote workers are outweighed by the mental health benefits of remote work.
Corporate leaders should view flexible work not just as a temporary necessity borne out of a global crisis, but as a gift of an opportunity to fundamentally improve work environments long term.
Work models that promote high productivity and strong mental health create workplaces that are not only more humane but also more effective.
To join the conversation set a first and last name in your user profile.
Sign in or register for free to join the Conversation