The Covid-19 pandemic led to a transition in work cultures worldwide. The lockdown, travel bans and the need to limit physical interactions prompted the rise of remote work arrangements. Work from home, despite the initial scepticism, proved to be a success. The liberty to work from the comfort of one’s home or other places of one’s choice, flexible work hours, the avoidance of commuting and the possibility of achieving better work-life balance led to WFH having many takers. A 2023 survey by the Boston Consulting Group found that companies that provided WFH facilities during the pandemic even earned revenue growth four times faster than those that remained inflexible about office attendance. Another study associated WFH with fewer sick leaves and greater health benefits. But a new study has now challenged some of the perceived advantages of remote working. The report, Work Culture & Mental Wellbeing, conducted by Sapiens Labs, shows that work from office has an upper hand over WFH when it comes to the mental health of employees. According to the study, which surveyed more than 54,000 respondents across 65 countries, quality workplace relationships — they are easier to maintain in office spaces — and a sense of pride in work play an important role in guaranteeing mental health rather than traditional indicators like workload. The average mental health quotient was 61.8 for an in-person set-up compared to 30.2 for those who worked remotely. That is not all. Mental well-being was boosted with the increase in the size of work teams. For India, this link between poor ties with colleagues and mental distress was stronger than the global average. That working in silos increases the sense of isolation and impacts mental health severely does not come as a surprise. After all, humans are hardwired to respond positively to physical interactions.

What then should be the future mode of work in post-pandemic economies? Should organisations opt for WFO over WFH? The answer perhaps lies in a mix of the two. Hybrid working, which combines the benefits of office interactions with the convenience of working from home as and when required, is gaining popularity. A recent International Workplace Group survey found that about three in four hybrid workers felt they were more productive and more motivated because of their work week being split into the two modes. Giving the employees the freedom to choose — a default labour right? — is the way to the future.