The sudden lockdown in March 2020 caused a rapid shift from workplace to home-based working for many people. In this study, we used data from seven longitudinal studies to investigate whether home working was associated with poor mental and social wellbeing during the pandemic. Our findings can be used to inform current russia rcs data policy, as the trend for home working is prevailing in the post-pandemic era.
Why was the study carried out?
Working from home existed before the pandemic but was not the norm. At the start of the pandemic many people were forced to work from home, often for this first time in their lives. We used this opportunity to estimate the effect of home working on people’s mental health and wellbeing.
Many arguments can be made for the mental health benefits of working from home, as time otherwise spent commuting can be invested on interests outside of work or quality time with family. During the pandemic, people working from home were also more protected from risk of infection. However, working from home could be detrimental to mental health in some cases, such as when social connection or a sense of meaning in work is lost.