A by-product of the COVID-19 pandemic was the imposition of working from home arrangements. However, once staff got a little accustomed to this change in approach, it became an appealing option as a ‘new norm’ for the way we do business.

The concept of Working From Home (WFH) is generating some interesting media coverage of late, with a number of articles arguing that productivity has dropped, mental health impacts have risen and that overall, the negatives outweigh the flexibility.

Big name CEOs like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg have been vocal in wanting to have ‘in person’ teams, advocating that this is more productive and allows Managers to more directly manage / supervise their staff. At the same time, in Australia unions are pushing for a ‘working from home’ right, and there has been a recent decision by the Commonwealth public service to agree to ‘no caps’ on WFH days (as part of a broader deal with the union to improve mobility).

The Australian Financial Review published an article last month titled Less productive, more depressed: the problem with working from home [1] by researchers from the Australian National University, the University of Newcastle and Macquarie University, asserting that work from home was less productive and was making workers “…more anxious, depressed and lonely”.   While the headline was attention-grabbing the study went on to add that while productivity and professional efficacy had dropped when people were working from home, it did find improved working conditions by giving workers more manageable workloads, greater autonomy and more support from supervisors significantly improved performance and wellbeing outcomes.

It is also worth flagging that the article stated that the study did not investigate the other potential benefits such as fewer sick days, more time spent with families and less time commuting.

The more you look, the more studies you find in this space – both nationally and internationally. Some are relatively neutral in their stance, but some appear quite biased and present a particular side of the argument.

There are certainly negatives and concerns with working from home, and we have all probably experienced them by now – such as the initial feelings of isolation, loneliness and disconnection, the feelings of being absolutely reliant on NBN and Telstra to stay connected to work colleagues. The aforementioned studies explore a range of these direct and indirect impacts (from the worker’s perspective) such as reduced training, mentoring and career development opportunities, especially for early-career workers; and reduced collaboration and ideas generation (from an organisation perspective). However, this isn’t a complete picture.

Working from home impacts workers differently – some welcome the arrangement for its flexibility, others feel disconnected and uncomfortable for the work intrusion into their homelife. Either way, these impacts (positive or negative) are another factor that feeds into the mental health and wellbeing of those working from home.

While the issue could be over-simplified as a “productivity vs WHS debate”, there are so many factors that need to be considered to get a clear picture. These factors, and their associated risks, need to be fully explored to determine what work arrangements would be the better of the options for workers and the organisations employing them. Companies are required to consult with workers in relation to risks (and managing changes) to understand their perspective, and to identify and the assess the ‘office’ risks that their workers are exposed to. Proper consultation and risk assessment is the key, wherever that ‘office’ is located.

Please contact QRMC for more information or assistance.

[1] Less productive, more depressed: the problem with working from home, published on Jun 18, 2023