Workers Say This Much WFH Time Would Bolster Well-Being
New findings from Nick Bloom's research group detail how professionals think in-person and remote work impacts their mental and physical health--and they're pretty split.
BY SARAH LYNCH, STAFF REPORTER@SARAHDLYNCH
What's the connection between work-from-home time and professionals' health?
The researchers behind the WFH Research group, co-founded by Stanford economist Nick Bloom, wanted to find out. So, for the February update of their monthly U.S. Survey of Working Arrangements and Attitudes, they asked more than 4,000 workers how many work-from-home days would be best for their mental and physical health.
On average, workers said 2.5 work-from-home days per week would be best for their mental health, while 2.3 days would be best for their physical health. But the responses came in somewhat of a "dumbbell" shape, according to the report, with more workers choosing fully in-person or fully remote work than the various hybrid options.
This might seem surprising, considering that most remote-capable workers seem to prefer a hybrid schedule, according to data from Gallup. But recent studies also show that various factors--like technology and degree of autonomy--can impact health and satisfaction for workers at home.
In this report, the WFH Research group found that education level was also a factor. Workers with only a high school education were more positive about the impact of fully in-person work than those with at least a bachelor's degree, who were more likely to say that fully remote or hybrid work was best for their health.
"The issue of work-from-home and its impact on health could be an important new argument in its favor (or against it). Right now, there is little hard data to give a definitive answer," the report concluded. But one result seems clear: "that a one-size-fits-all answer is unlikely to be right."
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