Working from home can have a highly positive impact on employees' health and productivity. However, certain conditions must be met, as recent studies show.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the home office has become an integral part of many companies' daily operations. Various studies have now examined the effects of this new work model and conclude, among other things, that the home office can indeed bring benefits for both employees and companies.
However, it heavily depends on whether working from home is voluntary or mandatory. A 2021 study showed that employee well-being and health tend to decrease when the home office is compulsory. Conversely, if employees can choose whether to work from home or in the office, their well-being and health tend to improve.
Researchers from a study by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco had already found that shifting to a home office neither significantly hindered nor boosted company productivity, indicating that employees are neither more nor less productive at home compared to the actual workplace.
Recently, executives from large corporations have also admitted that returning to the office does not necessarily increase productivity.
The home office primarily saves people time by eliminating the daily commute to work, allowing employees to use this saved commuting time for other activities. Many people use this additional time for activities such as walking or cycling to the supermarket, as shown by a US study. Another study by the US National Bureau of Economic Research showed that employees invest 43% of the time saved by working from home into additional work, which means that the home office can overall increase productivity. However, this study also found that one-third of this gained time is used for leisure activities.
Working from home also impacts eating habits. A study from Japan found that people in the home office consume more chips or sweets. However, the consumption of fruits and dairy products also increased. Additionally, people working from home are more likely to prepare their meals since they have access to their own kitchen. This can lead to a more conscious diet overall.
The studies show: the home office seems to bring positive effects worldwide, provided that employees can freely choose it.
