Work from home poses challenges, but benefits are still greater

Working from home or in hybrid situations, like most things, has two sides to its story. On the one hand, 21.8% of employees say they are more engaged, 20.7% say they are more satisfied and 50.8% are highly engaged, according to a new study by the Integrated Benefit Institute.

However there are challenges as well. The report shows that many employees are battling for a home office space (23%), constant interruptions (43%), slow internet connections, isolation, a house in disarray, and an endless workday. Also, 27% find it harder to balance work and family responsibilities, nearly half report spending too little time with their children under 18, and 40% indicate that they spend too little time with their spouse. Some remote workers also feel disconnected from their colleagues (30%).

The good news is that despite the many challenges, workers still see more benefits from the new working arrangements. Two years into the pandemic, 44% indicate that working from home has made it easier for them to get work done and meet deadlines; only 10% say this has been more difficult. And 64% of those who transitioned to a remote or hybrid work arrangement say it’s easier now for them to balance work with their personal life.

IBI spoke to corporate health benefits professionals in a 60-minute focus group discussion, and common themes emerged. Recommendations included:

Train managers and supervisors: The people closest to the employees must be trained to recognize indicators of burnout and how to point them to resources that may help. This may be more difficult to identify in a hybrid/remote environment, so it is especially important to provide specific training for leadership to watch and act to protect their teams from these struggles.

Provide flexibility to employees: Most employees have a preference of where and when they want to work. One of the things that employers can do to help mitigate burnout is to give employees as much schedule and location flexibility as possible. According to Pew Research Center, 45% of people surveyed say they left their job because of a lack of flexibility.

Respect employees’ boundaries: Regard for healthy boundaries should be baked into the culture. Employees need to be able to disconnect outside of working hours guilt-free. Encourage “no-work” vacation days.

Read more: How to get the hybrid work balance right

Be aware of workloads: Managers should always be aware of workloads, especially if staffing has been reduced. Again, if there are signs of burnout, be proactive before the employee experiences negative health consequences.

Don’t disincentivize employee loyalty: In many cases, employees who stay with the company longer are paid less than new employees. Optimize your compensation strategy by keeping salaries competitive.