Is working from home good for your employees’ health?

Insight by Tom Flynn

What are the effects COVID-19 have had upon the working habits of Australians? There has been a considerable amount of research, most of it survey-driven, looking at the productivity and health impacts of employees working from home as a result of the current pandemic circumstances.

Changes to behaviours in the workforce

The COVID-19 pandemic has seen a dramatic rise in the number of employees who are working from home out of necessity. While some have found this to be challenging, others have reported they have enjoyed the flexibility, the lack of commute, the associated relaxation in dress code and in conventional working hours. While the lockdowns will end at some point in the near future, Australian organisations will be faced with the reality that, for a wide variety of reasons, large numbers of their workforce may not choose to return to the office, or at the very least, may not return full time.

Research has demonstrated differing outcomes to, and perspectives of, those who work from home. From a mental health perspective, some employees have thrived in the home environment, due to being spared the anxiety caused by social interaction, while others have found the lack of the incidental social contact that takes place in the workplace has made them feel less engaged. It has also been reported that there has been an increase in the blurring of the lines between the home and work environments, leading to some employees finding it harder to switch off from work, which has the potential to be greatly exacerbated by the proximity of digital devices and the need to justify working from home. 

Similarly, in terms of dietary habits, it was reported that some individuals were better able to eat healthier at home as they’ve found more time to prepare meals, while conversely others have suffered a pandemic weight gain due to boredom eating and close proximity to the kitchen. 

The post-pandemic return to work outlook

Looking forward to the end of lockdown and past the current pandemic period, employers are grappling with how to structure employees’ return to work and the question of whether working from home is to become a permanent aspect of their business. The question as to whether permanent hybrid working from home models are good for employees’ health is contingent upon each individual. 

Employers need to ask themselves how they can best help to maximise the positive and minimise the negative impacts upon their employees’ health while they work from home. In a 2020 literature review by the Centre for Ergonomic and Human Factors at the La Trobe University in Melbourne*, it was found that their impact upon health outcomes was strongly influenced by factors within an employer’s control, for example, the degree of organisational support available to employees and the support of colleagues. 

The shift to working from home, particularly when forced to do so due to a mandated lockdown, has the potential to create uncertainty for employees. It could therefore be argued, that the need for clarity and certainty for employees around role expectations, defined performance and productivity measures, workload management and working hours has never been more important. 

The impact of colleague support

When in the office, colleague support can often be incidental and unplanned. Conversations in the kitchen, at the printer or incidentally while passing by a desk can create a collegiate environment and a sense of shared purpose. When working from home there needs to be a facilitated strategy to ensure we are able to stay in touch and have the opportunity to connect in both small and larger groups outside of formal work-oriented interactions.

During lockdown, we have become more acutely aware of this working from home, however, in the future when employee time may be split between the home and office, there needs to be consideration for those at home still being able to assist each other in an informal, supportive environment.

Working from home - the next steps

The relationship between work and health is both complex and multi-faceted, and can potentially become even more so for certain individuals working from home. The current COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that in order to do the right thing by their employees, and fulfil their duty of care and obligation to provide a safe and healthy workplace, organisations need to properly implement formal working from home policies. 

While the environment and regulations around us are continually changing, correct policy implementation and clarification of risk factors including expectations around roles, performance and workload can successfully create a boundary between work and home, protecting the mental health of employees and the interests of businesses. This, in turn, will enable the facilitation of environments in which we can do what comes instinctively and naturally to most – supporting each other.

*Oakman, J., Kinsman, N., Stuckey, R. et al. A rapid review of mental and physical health effects of working at home: how do we optimise health? BMC Public Health 20, 1825 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-09875-z