Are remote workers unhealthy? Much depends on your employer’s flexibility, academics say

This would look like waking up extra early to lift weights before commuting, squeezing a HIIT session in your lunch break, or even wearing your workout gear to the office for an after-work class. 

So the introduction of remote and flexible work policies should make it easier than ever for professionals to exercise around their responsibilities.

Research has shown that working from home (and not walking to the train station, carrying your belongings, or moving from desk to meeting rooms) is having a negative impact on most workers’ health.

In fact, the Royal Society for Public Health found that many people who switched to remote working as a result of COVID-19 were taking less exercise, developing musculoskeletal problems and experiencing disturbed sleep. 

Worryingly, research from the healthcare insurance company Bupa found that remote working can be as dangerous as smoking, with high levels of inactivity increasing workers’ risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and blood clots.

It’s not so black-and-white

However, new research shouldn’t be taken as the holy grail, because as Dr. Paola Zappa, an organizational behavior professor at UCL says, the evidence is limited to the short-term effects of remote working, some in the immediate reaction to lockdowns. 

Of course, people will have reported having backache in 2021 if they were still working from their sofa or bed, but by now most remote workers should have a proper desk set-up, so results today may differ from previous studies.

Plus, the debate is much more nuanced than research results show which exclude a myriad of factors, including workplace flexibility.

“In my opinion, remote working is unlikely to contribute to a healthier or unhealthier lifestyle per se,” Zappa says, because it depends on how much autonomy and control employees actually have to prioritize exercise over working while at home. 

“It is how remote working is managed by both workers and companies that has the highest impact on its consequences,” she adds.

A remote worker that fears being reprimanded for leaving their desk or being offline, won’t benefit from the freedom (and thus health benefits) that working from home can provide – like taking calls while on a brisk walk or fitting an afternoon exercise class in-between meetings.  

“While evidence relating to the impact of remote working on remote workers’ health is mixed, what my current research suggests is that choice over the working environment and autonomy over how they carry out their work is most likely to lead to positive outcomes,” echoes Dr Amanda Jones, a lecturer in organizational behavior and human resource management at King’s Business School. 

“Forced home or office working seems therefore to be worse for people than remote working per se,” Jones adds.

Plus, don’t forget mental health

When thinking about remote working’s impact on health, it’s all too easy to focus on the potential sedentary lifestyle synonymous with working from home.

But mental health is an equally important consideration – and research shows that remote working can have a positive impact on how workers feel. 

“Remote workers are known to enjoy – on average – a better work-life balance and a higher level of job satisfaction, which may result in lower levels of work stress and possibly a lower risk of burnout,” Zappa says.

Likewise, according to Jone’s own research, 56% of the 2,000 workers surveyed said that remote working made them feel more relaxed and 36% reported reduced stress as the biggest benefit of working remotely. 

“With the estimated cost of burnout to the U.K. economy in the tens of billions, and between 125 and 190 billion in the U.S., the potential contribution of remote working to the health and wellbeing of both employees and wider society should therefore not be underestimated,” she adds.

On the flip side, the main mental health drawback of remote working is social isolation. 

Potential symptoms of isolation are loneliness, emotional instability and depression, with Zappa warning line managers that when workers are isolated from those who should appraise their performance it can lead to a sense of uncertainty in their job and anxiety. 

“For this reason, it is important to maintain some informal interaction with colleagues,” she adds. “This can mean participating in online networking events organized by the company – if any – or creating opportunities for online or possibly in-person meetings with colleagues.”