This post is by Anthony Savage of Sparta Health
In the past year, all semblance of normal life has begun to seem like a distant memory. A new disease brought the world to its knees and put a stop to all sorts of in-person contact with others. An obvious, immediate, and enduring consequence was that droves of the UK’s office workforce were suddenly forced to work from home. But with a return to normality seeming in sight with an ongoing heroic vaccination program, employers are beginning to have to consider how, and if, to return to the office.
The transition to telecommuting was unexpected and, in many cases, undesired. While working from home certainly existed before covid-19, general corporate culture often seemed to operate with the attitude that to really run a successful and productive business, an office which people go to in person is more or less essential. Similarly, there was a significant implicit emphasis on in-person meetings – anything important, like a client meeting, would rarely be relegated to Zoom. With a sudden and jarring transition to remote work, many companies have found that it is far more viable than they had previously thought – and very economical. Dow Chemical and Nortel have saved over 30% on non-real estate costs, and nearly six out of ten employers identify cost savings as a significant benefit to telecommuting (1). Furthermore, telecommuting can make businesses more environmentally friendly: Sun Microsystems reported that its 24,000 U.S. employees participating in the Open Work Program avoided producing 32,000 metric tons of CO2 last year by driving less often to and from work (2). Overall, increasing the amount of people working from home has the potential to continue providing significant benefits to businesses, even once the pandemic is behind us.
However, there is another perspective: that of employees. While a survey found that 45% of people felt working from home was better for their health and wellbeing, compared to 29% who thought it was worse, that same survey reported significant health impacts: 67% of people felt less connected to colleagues, 46% took less exercise, 39% developed musculoskeletal problems and 37% had disturbed sleep (3). Mental health was also affected, with 56% of people saying they found it harder to switch off. Furthermore, lockdown and increased screen time as a result of working from home has lead to an increase in so-called “covibesity” and widespread rapid weight gain (4). Regardless, the vast majority of people surveyed did not want to go back to working in an office full time, with 74% saying that they wanted to split their time between home working and working in an office.
While it seems that an increased prevalence of home working is something that employees want and could benefit from, it cannot be denied that there is a possibility of significant negative health impacts. Splitting time between the office and home could be part of a solution, but it is also critical that employees make their physical and mental health a priority when working from home. The difference from the office has to be consciously acknowledged, and greater effort should be put into spending time outdoors, meditating, and exercising, to name a few examples. This responsibility falls on employers as well; only a third (34%) of people surveyed were offered support with their mental health from their employers. If employers are to reap the benefits of a workforce at home, they must also take on the responsibility of caring for those employees.
In conclusion, while the transition to telecommuting due to covid-19 was jarring and often undesired, remote working has proven to be a useful turn of events for both businesses and employees. As we slowly make our way back to normal life, working from home is likely to remain a much more popular phenomenon than ever before. Employers and workers alike must take an active role in ensuring good physical and mental health is maintained, even outside of the office.
About Anthony Savage
Anthony Savage is the Medical Services Manager at Sparta Health, having joined the team in 2017 and is responsible for the overall operational delivery of our high quality services to our clients. He has a solid background in workplace physiology, health and safety, as well over 12 years of delivering, and holding senior management positions, for leading injury and condition management providers.
He is known for his innovative approach in his design and execution of services and his ability to build enduring relationships.
References:
- How Working From Home Can Save Companies Money [Internet]. business.com. [cited 2021 May 7]. Available from: https://www.business.com/articles/working-from-home-save-money/
- Analytics GW. Costs and Benefits [Internet]. Global Workplace Analytics. [cited 2021 May 7]. Available from: https://globalworkplaceanalytics.com/resources/costs-benefits
- RSPH. Survey reveals the mental and physical health impacts of home working during Covid-19 [Internet]. [cited 2021 May 7]. Available from: https://www.rsph.org.uk/about-us/news/survey-reveals-the-mental-and-physical-health-impacts-of-home-working-during-covid-19.html
- Khan MA, Moverley Smith JE. “Covibesity,” a new pandemic. Obesity Medicine. 2020 Sep 1;19:100282.