Many companies want their staff back at their desks five days a week, but new research from the United States suggests that this may not be the smartest move. A team that surveyed over 7,700 workers found that people working fully remotely reported the highest well-being, while those always on site reported the lowest. Even one of the authors expected a different result. So who is right, the bosses or the data? Read on – and at the end you can check whether remote work is really your thing.
Return-to-office mandates have become a hot topic for employers, and fresh doubts are now being cast on them. According to the source, new evidence challenges the rules that limit remote work, and the research team believes it is time to overturn some common assumptions about remote jobs.
The main message from the study is fairly simple. As co-author Stefanie Johnson put it: “This suggests you let people work remotely if they want to work remotely.” She also warned that “Taking away people’s choice of how they work is probably not going to help them in terms of their well-being.”
Stefanie Johnson is a professor of organisational leadership and information analytics at the University of Colorado Boulder. Together with her colleagues, she published the findings in the scientific journal Frontiers of Psychology.
The results go against a popular belief that working from home harms relationships at work. The researchers found no strong sign that remote arrangements weakened ties between colleagues or damaged workplace culture. In other words, the fear that a team falls apart once people leave the office did not show up in the data.
The team analysed over 7,700 workers at a large healthcare organisation. This is useful, because everyone worked for the same employer, so the comparison between groups is fairer. The staff were split into three groups: 1,869 people worked fully remotely, 2,099 worked in a hybrid model, and 3,736 worked on site.
The respondents were also asked to describe their workplace culture in just a few words. Interestingly, remote staff were slightly more likely than their hybrid and onsite colleagues to use words linked to teamwork, inclusion and support.
To see how people were really doing, the researchers did not rely on one simple question about happiness. They measured five dimensions of well-being:
They then compared these results with how many employees later left the organisation. Well-being was highest among fully remote workers and lowest among traditional onsite staff. What is more, workers with greater well-being were less likely to leave their jobs later on – something every employer should care about.
You might think that researchers always find what they expect. Not this time. The results surprised Johnson, who had pictured a different ideal. “I actually thought you would be happiest if you were part time out of the office. Then every once in a while you get to see people, get that human connection.”
Her own assumption was that a mix of home and office would work best, giving people both freedom and social contact. The data, however, pointed in the direction of fully remote work.
If the evidence is so clear, why do so many companies still call their staff back? Johnson has a blunt answer. “The data from our study and others suggest remote and hybrid work result in better outcomes than return-to-office mandates,” she explained.
In her view, the problem lies elsewhere: “Leaders are not making decisions based on data. I think they are just returning to what they are used to.” Habits, it seems, can be stronger than research results.
This does not mean the office is useless. Johnson noted that meeting in person is still vital for building relationships with co-workers, especially for people early in their careers – which is good to know for anyone starting out. “Remote works better after you know people. So there is still a benefit of having some face time.”
The study did not examine why remote workers felt better, but the researchers pointed to wider research on autonomy and flexibility. Remote employees have more say over their daily schedules and where they work. “If you have control over your environment, you tend to have more positive outcomes,” said Johnson.
Working remotely also removes many everyday pressures, such as spending a lot of time in traffic, organising childcare, arranging help with pets or travelling to and from the workplace.
The study suggests that forcing everyone back to the office may not be the best idea. Fully remote workers reported the highest well-being, and people who feel better are less likely to quit. According to Johnson, employers should focus on employee well-being rather than only on where the work gets done. Her conclusion leaves little doubt: “I think flexibility is here to stay.”
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