Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

OfficesWorking from homeLatest NewsFlexible workingProductivity

Remote workers ‘should spend at least two days in office’

by Ashleigh Webber 11 Nov 2019
by Ashleigh Webber 11 Nov 2019 Shutterstock
Shutterstock

There is no “perfect” ratio of remote working to office-based work, but remote workers should spend at least two-and-a-half days in the workplace to remain connected to colleagues and their employer.

That is according to a report from Nuffield Health, which looked at how remote working can affect employees’ mental health, wellbeing and productivity.

Remote working

Remote working roles have doubled in four years

Could an organisation work on a completely remote basis?

While remote working was linked to “positive” employee wellbeing overall, it had little effect on stress and productivity levels, the Effects of remote working on stress, wellbeing and productivity report found. It cited research from the CIPD which reported that 24% of both home workers and office-based staff felt under excessive pressure always or often.

The Nuffield Health report noted that spending more than two-and-a-half days per week working remotely was associated with a deterioration in the quality of workplace relationships. Managers and workers had to work harder to build mutual trust, and staff felt the need to “work too hard” to prove they were being productive.

Individual circumstances and personality traits should be taken into account when assessing whether an employee was suited to working remotely, the report said. “For example, if you have high rumination then remote working may be bad for your wellbeing, whereas people high on openness may adapt well (increased positive affect) to remote working.

“An obvious disadvantage of working from home is that the computer or laptop is there before you go to sleep and when you wake up, so the pressure to work is high unless such a remote worker can organise a proper home timetable and adhere to it,” the report noted.

“Technology in these circumstances is both an asset and a danger. Furthermore, there is no easy way for the employer to know what is happening.”

Researchers concluded that remote working should not be seen as an easy option to address issues like stress and feelings of poor work-life balance. Instead, employers must look at whether the individual, not just the role, is suited to remote working, taking into consideration factors such as self-discipline, the ability to separate work from home life and resilience.

Where managers found it difficult to assess employees’ health and wellbeing, remote workers should be monitored through regular communications, agreed office attendance, appraisals and inclusion in group events.

“Overall, remote working is positive on wellbeing. Where we do see negative effects these are largely the result of factors that can be addressed organisationally (for example, ensuring appropriate technology to enable seamless access to work material),” the report stated.

Latest HR job opportunities on Personnel Today

Browse more human resources jobs

Ashleigh Webber
Ashleigh Webber

Ashleigh is editor at OHW+ and HR and wellbeing editor at Personnel Today. Ashleigh's areas of interest include employee health and wellbeing, equality and inclusion and skills development. She has hosted many webinars for Personnel Today, on topics including employee retention, financial wellbeing and menopause support. Prior to joining Personnel Today in 2018, she covered the road transport sector for Commercial Motor and Motor Transport magazines, touching on some of the employment and wellbeing issues experienced by those in road haulage.

previous post
How easy is it to implement a four-day week?
next post
Lib Dems pledge £10,000 ‘skills wallet’ for all adults

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

You may also like

Monkeypox advice for employers: working from home and...

26 May 2022

Davos 2022: Upskilling workers necessary to overcome business...

26 May 2022

Burnout afflicts finance sector despite hybrid working

26 May 2022

Employees resigning in 2022: Survey shows ‘great resignation’...

24 May 2022

Adapt culture to hybrid work: do not force...

20 May 2022

Working from home statistics show three-fold increase

20 May 2022

Lack of flexibility pushes half of women to...

16 May 2022

Rees-Mogg under fire from civil service leader over...

13 May 2022

Tesco to pioneer office space in local stores

13 May 2022

Are we happy now? New research Sugar-coats working...

6 May 2022

  • The importance of being an ethical leader and how to become one PROMOTED | What is ethical leadership?...Read more
  • RPO Report: 2022, The Year to Outsource PROMOTED | Employers should be overwhelmed with choice...Read more
  • Report: Enabling organisational agility through talent & people success PROMOTED | Work has been challenged...Read more
  • Employee Trends 2022 report PROMOTED | Edenred research on employees analysed the key employees’ trends for 2022...Read more
  • How finance apprenticeships can boost business PROMOTED | As the world’s most forward-thinking professional accountancy body...Read more
  • Paul Devoy: Showing appreciation to the Investors in People community PROMOTED | Ask most people what comes to mind when you mention Investors in People...Read more
  • White paper: How digitalisation can support evolving occupational health PROMOTED | Download this free white paper to discover how digitalisation can help occupational health meet emerging challenges...Read more

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2022

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2022 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+