Remote work detrimental to mental health? This key study says office life wins

For remote workers, the absence of regular face-to-face interaction with colleagues was associated with loneliness. (Representational)

A recent study by US-based research organisation Sapien Labs suggests that traditional office work has an unexpected mental health advantage over remote work, spotlighting the role of in-person collaboration and the office environment in fostering mental well-being.

In a global survey involving over 54,000 participants across 65 countries, the Sapien Labs report stresses on the significance of relationships with colleagues and a sense of purpose at work as primary determinants of mental well-being. Findings reveal that workers in fully remote settings experience poorer mental health outcomes than their in-office or hybrid counterparts.

The research identifies two critical aspects of office work that significantly contribute to employees' mental well-being: positive relationships with colleagues and a strong sense of pride and purpose in their work.

These factors, rated highest in in-office environments, play a pivotal role in reducing feelings of sadness, isolation, and detachment, which are more prevalent in fully remote workers. The report found that employees with robust workplace relationships and a clear purpose had mental health scores nearly double those who rated these areas poorly.

Traditional work-life balance factors like workload and flexible hours were found to have a lesser impact on mental health compared to the social dynamics of office life. Sapien Labs says that a high workload, while challenging, does not dampen mental health to the same extent as poor interpersonal connections and a lack of purpose.

Remote Work Linked to Loneliness and Mental Fatigue

For remote workers, the absence of regular face-to-face interaction with colleagues was associated with increased feelings of loneliness and, in some cases, a detachment from reality. Fully remote employees reported more frequent episodes of confusion, unwanted obsessive thoughts, and a general lack of motivation.

Although hybrid work arrangements offered some reprieve by blending remote and office-based work, fully in-person arrangements still yielded the best mental health outcomes in regions like South Asia, where cultural factors might favour in-office interactions.

In-person Collaboration Outweighs Flexibility

One of the more surprising findings from the report is that flexibility alone cannot offset the downsides of poor social engagement. The report concludes that employees with limited flexibility but strong colleague relationships and a sense of pride and purpose reported better mental health scores than those with high flexibility but poor relationships and lack of purpose.

Sapien Labs suggests that organisations looking to boost employee mental health might consider rethinking the structure of remote work policies and investing in opportunities for in-person collaboration. “What we need to thrive,” the report states, “is not merely leisure and convenience but meaning and connection, even if that means more structured work.”