Nuffield Health have revealed the outcome of a study, showing that 80 per cent of employees feel that working from home has had a negative impact on their mental health.
Many businesses continue to operate in their usual manner without needing staff to be present in the office. The vast majority of the survey respondents - 80 per cent - who have been working remotely said that they are just as, or more productive and motivated at home. Whilst working at home has distractions, the flexibility it provides means many employees are at least as productive than in the office.
With regard to the mental health of employees working at home, it was found that - as reflected in the findings of top mental health charities and services - two in five employees surveyed shared the opinion that lockdown and working from home have both had a negative effect on their mental health.
Over 40 per cent of employees report feeling disconnected to their business and culture whilst working from home - and a staggering 60 per cent of employees reported that their employers have not done anything to keep colleagues connected whilst working remotely.
Mental health charity, Mind, also found that 60 per cent of adults stated that their mental health deteriorated during the initial period of lockdown restrictions from April to mid-May 2020, whilst working remotely, making it clear that being away from the usual sights and sounds of the business can connect with businesses faltering.
It is suggested that something as simple as a Zoom quiz; virtual coffee morning or online teambuilding exercise can assist in helping employees to maintain relations with their employer.
Findings from O C Tanner’s 2022 Global Culture Report - which analysed the perspectives of over 38,000 employees, leaders, HR practitioners and executives from twenty-one countries around the world, including over 2,500 from the UK - found that 83 per cent believe that those who work full time remotely cannot meaningfully connect with workplace culture.
Of the UK respondents, 20 per cent believe that two days each week in the office is sufficient to feel connected to the culture - with 18 per cent feeling that three days is preferable and 16 per cent stating that just one day is necessary. Of the remainder, 8 per cent stated five days per week; 8 per cent said one day every two weeks; 7 per cent cited four days and one day per month was suggested by 6 per cent.
Robert Ordever - MD of workplace culture expert, O.C. Tanner Europe - stated:
“It’s no surprise that workers can see the difficulties of developing a strong connection to organisational culture when fully remote working. Being physically together in the office allows for collaboration, innovation and connection – all harder to achieve at a distance. In fact, the office is vital for facilitating social interaction, storytelling and memory making, all of which nurture a strong workplace culture.”
He added:
“For the sake of organisational culture as well as overall business success, it’s important that a balance remains between home and office working, avoiding a shift towards total remote working. Offices are now cultural incubators, providing employees with the best opportunity to connect to the organisation, their leaders and each other. Should offices be taken away, corporate culture could be irreversibly damaged.”
