Remote work, telecommuting, or working from home has become an integral part of our lives. It’s no surprise researchers have been studying its impact on mental health.
So, does working from home improve mental health? What can be said about the hybrid work model? These are just a few of the questions that Jan Kabatek and Ferdi Bota from the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, along with their team, sought to answer.
What did the researchers find?
The researchers analyzed data from the 20-year National Study of “Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia” (HILDA), assessing how work affected the mental health of more than 16,000 employees. They tracked changes in participants’ mental state based on commute time and how work was organized at home. Their statistical models accounted for changes caused by major life events (such as job changes or the arrival of children).
The team excluded the two years of the COVID pandemic (2020-2021) from their analysis, since mental health during that period was affected by unique factors.
Commuting affects men and women differently
The time spent commuting had a barely noticeable effect on participants’ mental health. In contrast, for men, longer commutes were linked to a decline in mental well-being, particularly among those with pre-existing mental health issues.
For men with average mental health, their mental health worsened when one-way commute time increased by 30 minutes, an effect comparable to a 2 percent decrease in household income.
The hybrid work model is best for women
Remote work had a particularly positive impact on women who worked from home but also spent at least one or two days a week in the office.
For women with mental health challenges, this work format improved their well-being similarly to a 15 percent increase in family income.
This finding aligns with previous research showing that hybrid work is associated with increased productivity and job satisfaction.
The benefits for women’s mental health come not only from time savings but also from the ability to balance work and family responsibilities.
Moreover, light or occasional work from home had no impact on women’s mental health, according to Science Alert.
What does this mean?
Employees with weaker mental health are most sensitive to long commutes and are more likely to benefit from working from home. This is partly because individuals with weaker mental health already struggle to cope with stressful situations.
Women with mental health issues can significantly improve their well-being through remote work, while for men with weaker mental health, reducing commute time is particularly important.
Meanwhile, employees with strong mental health are less sensitive to both commuting and the location of their work tasks. For them, the impact of changed work conditions on mental health is less pronounced.
A few recommendations from the researchers
For employees: Monitor how commuting and different work-from-home options affect your well-being. If you have mental health challenges, plan to tackle the most difficult tasks on days when you feel more comfortable.
For employers: Offer your team flexibility, especially for employees with mental health issues. Consider hybrid models (working both from home and in the office), as they are the most effective for most employees, particularly women.
Take into account the time your staff spends commuting when assessing the impact of work demands on employee well-being.
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