Holistic Health
The health benefits and drawbacks of working from home
Flexible work arrangements are beneficial , especially for people with disabilities
One silver lining from COVI�-1� is the growing popularity of remote working , first made compulsory for many workers in order to contain the spread of the disease . But it ’ s now a standard practice in many working environments , so how does it compare to the daily office grind , especially in terms of well-being�
Several studies show that remote working has significant positives , in particular for people with disabilities , and has mostly led to improvements for many workers but also a few drawbacks .
“ While some of the health evidence about working from home is mixed , overall it shows giving workers the �exibility to choose to work from home can be good for their physical and mental health ,” a team of researchers from the �niversity of South Australia wrote in The Conversation .
One benefit they saw was increased time . In Australia , people who shifted from office to home working gained an average of one hour and 18 minutes of extra time every week because they didn ’ t have to commute .
This extra time could be used for physical activities . In fact , one �S study showed that people were more likely to walk or cycle on the days they were working from home . “ However , this silver lining is clouded by findings from �apan , where remote workers reported less movement and more sitting during office hours , hinting at a complex trade-off between work and leisure-time physical activity ,” they wrote .
The psychological well-being of home workers usually declined if they were forced to work from home , while it improved when they were given the freedom to choose remote working . This was particularly true when workers had �exible working arrangements giving them the chance to manage their isolation .
A large review of 1 , �30 papers found similar mixed results . While remote working could help people improve their diets and decrease both stress and blood pressure , in other cases it made it more likely that they would eat more snacks , drink , and gain weight . On the plus side , some analyses showed that many people working at home ate more vegetables , fruits , dairy , and self-made meals . The review said “ younger workers and females benefited the most in terms of healthier eating .”
Home working provided some of the greatest benefits to people with disabilities because it allowed them to overcome transportation and accessibility difficulties . In some cases , working from home helped deal with health problems . “ �ue to disability , less distractions and calmer environment , �I am� able to manage my conditions better and perform better ,” one respondent told researchers conducting a survey of public servants in Australia . Another respondent stressed “ less time spent trying to use facilities due to mobility issues .”
Overall , the research showed that remote work could provide more job opportunities for people with disabilities , which in turn could improve their psychological well-being .
“ Working from home is not a one-size-fits-all approach and appears best positioned as one choice among many to support a better , more inclusive , and �exible work environment ,” the researchers wrote .
Several studies show that remote working has significant positives , in particular for people with disabilities .
28 ISSUE 2 | 2024 GlobalHealthAsiaPacific . com