WORKING FROM HOME VS THE WORKPLACE: A SCIENTIFIC ANALYSIS

More than two years ago, many of us started working from home at least some of the time. So now the novelty has worn off, are hybrid workers more productive and happier than those working full-time in an office?

- DR DEAN BURNETT

The ongoing post-pandemic transition from employees working full-time in the office (or equivalent workplace) to more regularly working from home, aka remote working, has been met with many concerns, objections, and even scaremongering by employers.

However, many of the arguments against remote working seem to be emotional, or even ideological, rather than rational. Accordingly, workers have been passionately resisting plans to reduce their remote working arrangements.

But looking beyond accusations of lazy employees, or greedy landlords and managers, what does the actual science say?

ARE REMOTE WORKERS LESS PRODUCTIVE?

The issue of productivity has long been a primary focus of the world of work. Logically, employers want employees to be as productive as possible, because the organisation wants to get as much done as possible for the same wage bill. However, this obsession isn't always helpful, or even rational. Many persistent (and annoying) productivity myths have ended up circulating in society. You could even argue that the modern management obsession with 'employee happiness' is more about increasing productivity than any genuine concern for employees and their wellbeing.