Does Working From Home Reduce Stress?

As companies struggle to retain millennials and create more productive teams, the draw of a remote workforce is alluring. Not only does it decrease brick and mortar costs, but the theory is also that remote employees enjoy better work-life balance, less stress, and are likely to stay with the company. But is this true?
Is work-life balance better for remote employees?
Not really.
While work-life balance issues aren’t the top stressor for any of the employee groups in my job stress study (remote, traditional, men, women, parents, etc.), more remote employees reported issues with work-life balance issues than those who work in conventional offices with the same company. Even more worrying, the remote employees reported higher overall stress levels as well.
Why are remote employees more stressed?
Three issues appeared over and over in the comments on my research survey:

Remote employees feel disconnected from their peers and the mission of the organization.
Even the name “remote employee” suggests a distance between the employee and the rest of the organization. Missing out on day-to-day conversations and in-person meetings can result in a remote employee being steps behind in a fast moving project. Other comments suggest that being isolated from the camaraderie built by working in the same physical space makes remote employees feeling like the outsider who can never fully join the team. Finally, remote employees often aren’t aware of how their contributions are connect...

Source: Embrace Your Heart Wellness Initiative - February 8, 2019 Category: Cardiology Authors: Eliz Greene Tags: Employee Wellness Job Stress Stress Management remote employees work life balance Source Type: blogs