A growing body of data is debunking myths about remote work

As conflicts over return-to-office initiatives rage, whether in the U.S. government or the private sector, the amount of data about remote work continues to grow.

Many organizations, worried about potential drops in morale and productivity, are calling employees back to the office. But the employees, having experienced the flexibility of remote work, are reluctant to let it go.

In this context, a recent two-part meta-analysis published in the peer-reviewed journal “Personal Psychology” and led by Ravi Gajendran and his team offers crucial insights into the real effects of remote work, potentially reshaping this ongoing debate.

Gajendran’s first meta-analysis covers 108 studies involving 45,288 participants. It examines the effects of remote work intensity — the extent to which employees work remotely, ranging from one or two days a week to full-time remote work — on various employee outcomes. Additionally, the meta-analysis compares remote workers to their office-based counterparts across 62 studies with 41,904 participants.

The findings of the meta-analysis show that, contrary to many leaders’ concerns, remote work has beneficial effects on several critical employee outcomes. For example, remote work boosts employees’ job satisfaction and commitment to their organizations. The flexibility of remote work allows them to better manage their work-life balance, leading to more positive attitudes towards their jobs and employers.

Additionally, remote work enhances employees’ feelings of support from their organizations. This increased support likely stems from the more deliberate communication and support mechanisms necessitated by remote work, making employees feel more valued.

Supervisors often rate remote workers higher, dispelling the myth that remote employees are less productive or less visible to their managers. Moreover, remote work reduces employees’ intentions to leave their jobs. The flexibility and autonomy of remote work serve as powerful retention tools.

Despite the overall positive findings, the analysis did uncover one significant downside to remote work: loneliness. As employees spend more days working remotely, they tend to feel more isolated. This increased sense of isolation can negatively impact their overall well-being. However, new research on mental health in remote work provides a nuanced perspective on this issue.

Groundbreaking research conducted at the University of Pittsburgh, which analyzed data from over 5 million mental health screens across multiple U.S. states, highlights the significant positive influence of workplace flexibility on mental well-being. This study found that states with a higher percentage of firms offering flexible work arrangements exhibited considerably lower rates of depression and suicide risk. The correlation was particularly robust in 2023, a fully post-pandemic year, indicating that the flexibility of remote and hybrid work can enhance mental health outcomes.

The research suggests that while feelings of isolation may have been prevalent during the enforced social isolation of the pandemic, these feelings likely diminished as people began to re-engage with social, civic and community activities. The study also shows that flexibility in work arrangements can reduce stress by alleviating the pressures associated with commuting, rigid schedules and work-life imbalance.

Additionally, increased autonomy and control over work schedules contribute to higher job satisfaction and overall well-being. Thus, whatever negative effects may come from feelings of isolation among some remote workers are more than outweighed by the mental health benefits of remote work.

The meta-analysis by Gajendran and his co-authors, along with the University of Pittsburgh study, offers a comprehensive view of the effects of remote work. The data suggest that, on balance, remote work has modest but positive effects on various employee outcomes. The only notable downside is the potential for increased feelings of isolation, which organizations can address through targeted interventions such as regular virtual check-ins, team-building activities and opportunities for in-person interactions when feasible.

In spite of such abundant evidence, many leaders still try to push a hard-nosed approach to forcing employees back into the office full-time. We see that in the private sector, in companies such as Boeing and UPS, causing these firms to lose their best talent. And we see it in the public sector. As one example, a proposed bill from Senators Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) aims to limit telework to 40 percent of a federal employee’s total work hours, posing a significant threat to the extensive benefits associated with flexibility.

That’s despite extensive evidence from the federal government itself. The annual report from the White House Office of Personnel Management highlighted the concrete advantages of telecommuting. It showed that 68 percent of frequent remote workers intend to stay in their positions, compared to only 53 percent of non-teleworkers. Additionally, 77 percent of regular teleworkers reported high engagement levels, significantly higher than the 59 percent among those who work primarily in the office.

Performance benefits are also evident, with more than 84 percent of employees and managers recognizing enhancements in work quality and customer satisfaction due to telecommuting. All this data aligns well with Gajendran and Mark Ma’s studies’ analysis, confirming that the federal government benefits from retaining flexibility.

In short, leaders should view flexible work not just as a temporary necessity borne out of a global crisis, but as a long-term opportunity to fundamentally improve work environments. By designing work models that promote both high productivity and strong mental health, organizations can create workplaces that are not only more humane but also more effective.

Gleb Tsipursky, Ph.D., serves as the CEO of the hybrid work consultancy Disaster Avoidance Experts and authored the best-seller “Returning to the Office and Leading Hybrid and Remote Teams.“