As remote working has been mass adopted due to COVID-19, employees are saying working from home and having time away from the office is having a positive effect on their mental wellbeing.
This information comes from ZenBusiness, who found that 60 per cent of employees say their mental health had improved due to remote working.
Remote working seems to have benefitted workers physical as well as mental health as 40 per cent said their diet has improved and 48 per cent saying they are more engaged with physical exercise.
However, research also showed that 39 per cent of employees struggle with loneliness whilst remote working.
- Missing social interaction (27 per cent)
- Feeling the need to prove productivity (24 per cent)
- Colleagues taking longer to respond (18 per cent)
- Connectivity issues (17 per cent)
- Feeling disconnected from colleagues (16 per cent)
- Feeling out of sight, out of mind (16 per cent)
- Feeling out the loop with what is going on across the business (15 per cent)
- Getting distracted even more than being in the office (15 per cent)
- Relying on technology too heavily (14 per cent)
- Feeling isolated (12 per cent)
Melissa Cadwallader, head of HR from ZenBusiness said:
Working from home can be extremely rewarding for your mental health and offers freedoms that may not be accessible in the office, like cooking your favourite meals for lunch or taking breaks to spend time with your children.
Our data highlights that the majority of people are finding WFH a positive experience for their mental health, but it also shows that 2 in 5 are not. We advise everyone to ensure they exercise, take regular breaks, eat and sleep well, drink plenty of water, and stick to a routine where possible.
Workers should utilise this time to get familiar with their working from home (WFH) policy documents and request support from their employers. If you are struggling with your work environment or are having technical difficulties for example, your employers are there to help, regardless of the size of your business.
You are working from home during a global crisis, it’s not a regular working week, and it is important to recognize that it’s ok not to be ok and that there are people you can talk to.
ZenBusiness spoke to 1,035 employees to obtain these results.
Darius is the editor of HRreview. He has previously worked as a finance reporter for the Daily Express. He studied his journalism masters at Press Association Training and graduated from the University of York with a degree in History.
