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People who work remotely feel more productive and are less likely to experience professional burnout if their home office is well ventilated, research suggests. Employees who also reported being happy or satisfied with their home workstation set-up were more likely to feel they are doing well in their job.
Researchers said investing in good quality workspaces and creating a healthy environment would allow workers to have a “bright future of working from home”.
Many companies have a hybrid working policy, allowing employees to split their working hours between home and the workplace, but some have insisted people return to the office full-time, based on the view that employees are less productive at home.
To find out if this was the case, researchers from the Maastricht University in the Netherlands surveyed more than 1,000 remote workers. Questionnaires were used to assess whether people felt they were productive at home, were happy with their home office equipment including screens, desks and chairs, and were satisfied with their working environment, such as levels of temperature and noise they were experiencing at home.
The team found higher levels of satisfaction with home office set-up – including working in a well-ventilated room – was associated with higher self-reported productivity and a lower likelihood of professional burnout.
This study delves into the problem of physical home office environment in enhancing productivity and reducing burnout among remote workers.
By promoting air-quality-improving behaviours and ensuring higher satisfaction with home office set-ups, employers and employees can significantly enhance WFH outcomes.
Source: Plos One
Image: Shropshirestar