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During the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies introduced remote work in order to continue operating. Although since then, fortunately, the closure is no longer relevant, the practice has continued, but above all become more democratized – although it still has its detractors. After 4 years of study, science is unanimous: remote work has many advantages.
Advantages of remote work according to science
According to various studies (which you can find at the end of the article), working remotely has many advantages. Those who decide to work remotely, without imposition, improve their mental health and well-being, and only in cases of conflict between workers and employers do we see the opposite. Flexibility in an organization is not only positive, but it has also been shown not to have a major impact on group cohesion or productivity. A statement that tends to contradict those who claim that remote workers get carried away and are not really focused on the professional tasks assigned to them.
In fact, various studies show that we even work harder. An increase due to a quieter environment, but also due to the elimination of travel time to the office/home. Workers therefore have more free time, and 43% of that extra time translates into more work.
And health?
Another claim that studies have tried to disprove is that people who work remotely sit more, and therefore, more broadly speaking, telecommuting would have a negative effect on our health. It has been proven that this is not the case, on the contrary. People who work from home are more likely to incorporate physical activity into their free time, such as cycling or walking, and are more likely to make the most of that extra time by choosing to walk instead of driving to work. activities such as shopping at the supermarket.
A negative point was highlighted: nibbling. With our fridge and other cupboards available, snacking between meals is more common. A bad habit, however, mitigated by the fact that we are at home. We are more aware of the food we have available, so we have evolved towards a more varied and healthy diet (greater consumption of fruits and vegetables, for example).
In conclusion, if certain negative points should be highlighted, the benefits compensate or even systematically outweigh them. It should be noted that remote work must be desired and not imposed. For some, going to the workplace is a very important factor for personal balance.
Sources:
- https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4393288
- https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/5/4529
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jomf.12633
- https://www.nber.org/papers/w30866
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2214140517309258