Remote work has become an integral part of the global work culture, but its impact on “mental health” remains a topic of discussion.
Does working from home improve “mental health”? If so, what is the optimal number of days to work from home per week? And who benefits the most? These questions were answered by a “new study” based on long-term survey data from more than “16,000 Australian workers.”
“Mental health”:
* For women, commute time had no noticeable impact on “mental health.”
* For men, however, long commutes were associated with a deterioration in “mental health,” especially for those already suffering from mental health problems.
For a man with average mental health, adding half an hour to his daily commute led to a decrease in his mental health roughly equivalent to a “2%” decrease in household income.
Benefits of working from home for women:
Hybrid work was most suitable for women.
Working from home had a strong positive impact on women’s “mental health,” but only under certain conditions.
The biggest gains were recorded when women worked mainly from home, allocating some time (a day or two) in the office or workplace per week.
For women experiencing “mental health” problems, this arrangement improved their mental health compared to working exclusively on-site. The gains were similar to those resulting from a “15%” increase in household income.
This finding confirms a “previous study” that found that this type of hybrid work arrangement led to improved job satisfaction and productivity.
The benefits of working from home for women were not limited to saving time wasted on commuting; working from home helped them balance work and family life.
