- Alliance Virtual Offices and Allwork.Space conducted a survey to find out how remote work affects individuals’ health and well-being.
- While workers have the option of working from home, the greatest benefits are for those who are part of a minority group.
- Remote work has been shown to reduce stress and help workers break through the glass ceiling, but it still has some drawbacks like poor home furniture that can cause physical ailments.
This article was originally published on Alliance Virtual Offices.
Workers thrive when given the option of a work environment
To understand how remote work affects individuals’ health and well-being we analysed millions of figures, including those from our employees at Alliance Virtual Offices.
Surprised, we discovered that all workers can benefit from the option of working from home. However, the greatest benefits were shared by several minority groups.
We also conducted a literature review and surveyed workers at Allwork.Space and Alliance Virtual Offices to determine how our teams compare to a control group.
We are confident that you are ready for the stats. Please see our original research below.
This article contains references, methods, and procedures. Methods and Procedures PDF.
These are the Key Findings
- Remote work options are a great way to make use of the unique experience and skills that minorities have, increasing diversity as well as equity.
- Remote work options for parents can bring $8 billion back to the economy
- Workers were 22% more productive when they had the option of working from home.
- Remote work reduces stress by 39%
- People who commute long distances, especially for women, are less happy or healthier.
- Workers who don’t have the right office equipment are 27.546.9% more likely gain weight and to experience an increase in pain.
- The chance of being hospitalized by cycling to work is 2.6% higher than if you cycle to work.
- Our teams have significantly lower commutes than those in control groups and are happier and healthier.
- Remote workers were 93% more likely feel included than those who had the option of working remotely.
Remote work can improve diversity and equity
It is easier to have a worker in the workplace without disclosing any religious affiliations, race, nationality or sexual orientation, gender, pregnancies or disabilities. Remote work can offer safety and mental well-being for minorities by shielding them against discrimination and letting the work speak for itself (Kennette L. & Lin P., 202).
The U.S. unemployment rate among disabled persons is about 9%. Remote work can bring many of them back into the workforce, increasing opportunities for economic advancement.
One report states that 133 million Americans have a chronic illness. Remote work may be an option to help them manage their illness and remain in the workforce. (DeFelice, M., 2019).
Regardless of their mental health, disability or minor status, 80% would quit their job to work in an organization that focuses more on mental health (Westfall C. 2020).
Allowing workers to work from home can help break the glass ceiling
Millions of women lost their jobs or quit because of the lack of childcare, especially during a pandemic (Kennette & Lin 2021).
Remote work allows women to be more flexible in their work hours and is 32% less likely to quit their job.
Offering work-from-home options to mothers could help replace $8 billion in lost wages. They would be able reenter their workforce (Connley 2021).
It creates a more equitable distribution of domestic resources when both parents have the option of working at home. LaborIt allows both parents to spend more time with their children. Additionally, educated mothers, who tend to have fewer children later in their lives, can work from home to help them achieve their career goals and their parenting goals (Murray 2021).
It is interesting to note that remote work is more popular with men than it is with women. Many men expressed fear that their achievements would be overlooked in a performance-driven environment. Women did not share the same concerns. There could be many reasons for this phenomenon. However, men may have an unfair advantage in the workplace (Kennette L. and Lin, P. 2002).
Remote workers are more productive
Remote workers are more relaxed, more productive, and produce a higher volume work (Guler, Guler, et. al., 2021; Kennette L. & Lin P.,2021).
One study showed that remote working increases productivity by 13%. This includes fewer breaks and sick days, and more work per shift. This study showed that workers who were offered the option of working at home or in the office saw their productivity rise to 22% (Bloom et al. 2014).
The stress of working from home is significantly reduced
Long commutes can trigger cortisol, a hormone that is associated with stress, to be released in the brain. Because of the savings on transportation costs, not commuting can reduce stress.
It is financially advantageous to not drive to work as it saves money on fuel, maintenance and/or toll costs, as well as fares such taxis and ride-sharing services (Kennette L. & Lin P., 2021).
People who don’t commute have the added benefit of more sleep, which has many health benefits.
Workers who commute long distances are less happy and healthier
Long commuters spend less on leisure activities and exercise. They also have lower moods and more mental health issues, and are less satisfied in their social lives.
These negative outcomes are more severe when commute times are longer. While those who cycle to work seem not to experience any side effects, they are still exposed to dangers. (Chatterjee et al. 2020).
Although the reason for these negative outcomes is not clear, they are reported to be worse for women. One possibility is that women often have to pick up and take care of more household chores during their commutes (Chatterjee et. al. 2020; Roberts. et. al. 2011,).
Remote work has its drawbacks, however
26.9% of those who moved to work from home during the pandemic gained more weight and had a slight increase their pain levels as a result of inadequate equipment for work, such as desks or office chairs.
These increases force employers to provide information and options for remote workers for healthy lifestyles, and the proper equipment (Guler et al. 2021).
You are thinking about taking up cycling? You might want to reconsider.
Cycling to work is great for your health, but it could also lower the life expectancy of younger workers (Edwards & Mason (2014)).
Fatal accidents involving pedestrians or cyclists account for 16% of all traffic deaths each year (U.S. Department of Transportation 2021). Road crashes are the leading cause for death worldwide for people younger than 54 years (Association for Safe International Road Travel 2022).
One study found that cycling to work for ten years would increase the number of hospital admissions per 1000 people (Welsh et al. 2020).
These commuters are also at risk of being involved in traffic accidents.
These chemicals can cause cancer as well as non-cancer risks. The risk is greater for commuters who travel longer distances (Lovett et. al., 2018).
Our workers have shorter commutes than the control group and are happier and healthier both mentally and physically.
Our organization employs 55% of its workers online.
We wanted to see how our personnel performed compared to a random control with questions about mental, physical, and emotional health.
Here’s What We Found:
Comparison Alliance Virtual Offices Allwork.Space vs. External Results
Better feelings of inclusion were a result of better workplace options
93% of workers who have the option of working from home are more likely feel included (Connley 2002).
Workers will be less stressed if they can work from home for at least 20% of the time. They also have a lower likelihood of leaving their job.
Workers felt less burnout and exhaustion when they had the option to choose where they work. They also reported greater satisfaction rates and were more productive.
It is interesting that those who were forced to work where they did not want had more negative consequences, regardless of whether it was at home or in the office.
This highlights the importance personal choice and flexibility when determining worker schedules (Kaduk, et al. 2019, 2019).
Conclusion
We hope that you found this analysis on diversity, equity, inclusion, and remote work valuable.
Our method, sources, procedures, and methodology are available for those who are interested in how we arrived at these conclusions. Methods and Procedures PDF
We’d love to hear from your thoughts:
What have your experiences with remote work and diversity, equity, inclusion?
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This article was originally published on Alliance Virtual Offices.
