Even before the retreat of Covid-19, it was evident that one of the biggest impacts of the pandemic would result in making alterations to, rather than fully transforming, how we work. It introduced work-from-home and remote working as a new reality and as catchphrases that have dominated HR discourse. Remote working was an offshoot of Covid-19, as social distancing became a cardinal practice. And the gradual return of the workforce to offices was expected with a return to normalcy. Now, a global study by US-based research group Sapiens Lab has suggested that conventional office work has positive outcomes for one’s mental health compared to remote work.
Both companies and employees should heed the findings of the survey as they debate the pros and cons of various modes of work. The study pointed out two key aspects of office work as big contributors to the mental well-being of employees: positive relationships with colleagues; and a strong sense of pride and purpose in work. The first aspect cannot be replicated away from an office space. Writers, artists or freelancers do operate and even thrive in an ivory tower. But that is different from being a full-time employee of an organisation. The post-Covid scenario has encouraged businesses, especially in the information technology sector, to extend remote work considering plausible benefits such as cutting office costs, increased productivity, lower carbon footprint, and better work-life balance. But for workers, according to the Sapiens Lab study, the interpersonal dynamics and socialisation of office life have a greater influence on their mental health than traditional work-life balance factors such as flexible hours and workload. So neither the employers nor the employees should ignore the importance of a physical office space.
Cultural factors also matter. Humans are social beings with an instinct to connect, and it applies more so in developing economies with dense populations and less individualistic societies. It is instructive that the study found fully in-person arrangements yielding the best mental health results in regions such as South Asia. According to it, Indians gained from office work, while in Europe and the Americas hybrid workers enjoyed better mental health. After the initial compulsion of work-from-home during the pandemic, companies have been sceptical about it as a long-term choice and have veered more towards a flexible hybrid model. Last year, a study in India by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of California found that fully remote work led to 18% drop in productivity. Other research papers have also indicated that the work-from-home is detrimental to young workers — such staff were less likely to connect with new colleagues, and less exposed to feedback, mentoring, etc.
Organisations have good reasons to stress office work. But some have even been guilty of adopting a carrot-and-stick approach to persuade employees to return to office. Remote work, however, remains a strong trend, and according to CXOToday, 60 to 90 million Indians — 10.2-15.17% of the projected workforce of 593 million — will be working remotely by 2025. It will help no one to reverse a trend and present office work as a Hobson’s choice to employees. But at the same time, the advantages of a physical space where colleagues can bounce off ideas cannot be overstated. Organisations and employees should be flexible enough to work with the best of both worlds — remote and office work. So hybrid is the way to go.