Team-BHP - Working from home makes us happier: Scientists studying remote work for 4 years conclude

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A study conducted by a group of Australian researchers has found that working from home makes us happier. The study concluded that the "flexibility significantly improves the well-being and happiness of employees, transforming our relationship with work."

Working from home makes us happier: Scientists studying remote work for 4 years conclude-workfromhome.jpg

Benefits of Working from Home

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The conclusions of this large-scale research highlight that, despite the sometimes contradictory data inherent in the complexity of the subject, offering employees the flexibility to choose to work from home has significant benefits for their physical and mental health.

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One of the first things we noticed when we started confinement was an increase in sleep time: almost half an hour more per night for teleworkers. This gain is not insignificant. Before the pandemic, the average Australian spent around 4.5 hours a week travelling for work. Researchers point out that this commuting time is often correlated with poorer mental health and a poorer perception of one’s own health. According to this study, educing or eliminating these daily journeys, which are sources of stress and fatigue, therefore has a direct and positive impact.

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...up to ten extra days of free time per year for teleworkers, shows that this time is reinvested in various ways. Some of it is devoted to more work, and some to family responsibilities or caring. Interestingly, around a third of this freed-up time is allocated to leisure activities.

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Consumption of vegetables, fruit and dairy products has risen, as has the preparation of home-cooked meals, a sign of increased attention to the quality of food.

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The Australian study, corroborated by other research, suggests that professional performance and productivity are maintained and even improved when employees work from home.

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When working from home is imposed, as was the case during the strict confinements, mental health and well-being can suffer. On the other hand, when individuals choose to work from home, their well-being tends to improve significantly.

Conclusion

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Employees who work full-time from home or in a hybrid model report higher job satisfaction and well-being. This confirms the growing desire for greater flexibility and autonomy in managing one’s professional activity.

The researchers conclude that our approach to work must evolve, embracing the diversity of needs and lifestyles. It’s less a question of pitting face-to-face against remote working, and more a question of creating tailor-made solutions that benefit both employees and forward-thinking businesses.

Source: Farmingdale-observer

Well, I do not like generalizations which the results of such studies imply.

Whether WFH makes one happier or not, is purely subjective.

I know people who have increased productivity while WFH , but also know people who feel lonely and loss of social connection while working from home.

WFH can also blur the boundary between work and leisure, and its a double edged sword. On one hand you are more productive, efficient , and on the other hand the work-life balance can take a hit.

Some physiatrists and psychologists believe that WFH regularly can make one more prone to anxiety and depression, partly because loss of social connection and also being in one place (home) for majority of the time can interfere with the production of happiness hormones (Serotonin, Dopamine etc.).

So, to conclude, its purely subjective.

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Originally Posted by DCEite (Post 5973841)

Well, I do not like generalizations which the results of such studies imply.

So, to conclude, its purely subjective.

Completely agree to these two statements. I have met a lot of people that would any day prefer to WFO and these are not just managers, but IC's as well and they feel they contribute more when they are in an office atmosphere. I manage a large team and I prefer WFO, while my team prefers WFH and both groups are able to function well.

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Originally Posted by DCEite (Post 5973841)

...being in one place (home) for majority of the time can interfere with the production of happiness hormones (Serotonin, Dopamine etc.)...

Won't debate the study itself; people feel how they feel about WFH Vs. WFO and heels aren't just dug in but have deep roots at this point, but the only hormones I experience (myself or from people around me) the moment I step outside my home, workday or not, are a cocktail of adrenaline, noradrenaline, testosterone, and cortisol, the 'angry' hormones.

I'd love to meet people getting happy hormones from the daily grind; it would be so much nicer for everyone. :)

It does add the lines, also mentioned in the OP

"One crucial point emerges from the study: the distinction between imposed and chosen teleworking. When working from home is imposed, as was the case during the strict confinements, mental health and well-being can suffer. On the other hand, when individuals choose to work from home, their well-being tends to improve significantly"

I think supervisors should offer the option of WFH and then decide if an individual is good with it.

Does it require scientists to do a "study" and tell us this? Everyone naturally knows it, of course it will make us happy!