Remote Work
A recent study looked at the impact of widespread remote work conditions (not working at an office or other physical workplace) on employees, and particularly how this shift impacts worker’s mental health.
What the researchers found—by comparing post-pandemic changes in reported isolation and mental health conditions in people who work remote-capable jobs, versus those whose work cannot be done remotely—is that self-reported levels of isolation have increased in fields that have gone remote, and levels of mental distress, the necessity for mental health care, and the use of antidepressants have also increased in this group.
The researchers noted that people who went remote during the Covid-19 pandemic didn’t tend to return to their previous social lives when the pandemic risk eased; they continued working alone and avoided social activities with their friends when not working.
This is especially prevalent in people who live alone, as many of them go entire days without any human contact at all.
The researchers wanted to look at this facet of remote working, because much of the existing literature focuses on productivity levels and worker satisfaction, both of which are mixed, some people loving remote work, others hating it; some people proving more efficient and effective while working remotely, others not so much.
What this study adds to that conversation is the implication that even people who prefer remote work might see negative consequences in the form of greater levels of social isolation if they aren’t careful, and those who don’t enjoy remote work might experience the double-whammy of both their professional and social lives taking a serious hit if their jobs go remote.
This is just one study and there are countless variables that are difficult to control for, here, so this isn’t anywhere close to the last word on this subject.
It does add some additional context to what has otherwise been a mostly productivity-focused area of study, though, and it may help round out the conversation around remote work, and other non-traditional working setups: making the individual’s mental health a relevant, tracked metric, alongside all the other measures that are tallied and assessed.