Remote working and workplace wellbeing: the benefits

Remote work, or agile work, has officially become one of the most significant transformations in the contemporary occupational landscape. Following its widespread adoption during the health emergency in 2020, it quickly turned into an operational model with a dual function: improving company efficiency and supporting organizational wellbeing. As a consequence, for companies the main question is no longer whether to implement remote work, but how to manage it strategically.

Let's explore the topic in this article.

1. What wellbeing in the workplace means nowadays 

Wellbeing in the workplace cannot just be reduced to financial satisfaction. It is a complex matrix of factors that includes the quality of life at work, the atmosphere of the work environment, safety, growth opportunities, interpersonal relationships, salaries, benefits and, increasingly, a healthy work-life balance, made easier through remote work.

What exactly is remote work? It's a working model based on autonomy: you choose where, when and how to work (within a contract agreed with your company), but what matters is achieving the predetermined goals.

This kind of flexibility has a direct impact on wellbeing in the workplace and work-life balance: a critical attraction and retention factor for companies.

2. Working remotely: direct benefits on wellbeing

Remote work - or agile work - helps work-life balance as it gives people back control over their own time. All the main benefits revolve around this idea.

Flexibility: from balance to blend

Flexibility linked to remote working allows people to organize their day and manage their activities more freely. It's not just about working from home, but being able to choose (though always within the terms of your contract): starting earlier so you can pick your kids up from school, taking a break when you really need it, scheduling work during moments of higher energy and focus. This increases intrinsic motivation and the sense of self-efficacy, fostering a more positive work environment.

No more commuting

Work-life balance in the context of agile working is a dynamic, customized blending between the different spheres of life. Remote working offers the flexibility needed to better balance work and personal life. The most immediate and universal benefit is the partial elimination of commuting.

Research shows that reducing commuting time and costs for the home-work commute drastically reduces stress levels due to traffic and mental and physical fatigue, improving the overall quality of life.

According to the latest data released by the Politecnico di Milano's Observatory, office days and remote work days decided collaboratively (meaning the choice is made together with the team, not imposed by the company or decided individually) lead to better results in terms of engagement, organizational performance and people's wellbeing.

More physical activity 

The time saved by not commuting can be actively invested for self-care. Physical activity, often the first victim of a strict routine or one that requires long commuting to the workplace, can be more easily integrated in the day, being a crucial element for physical and mental health.

Remote working, if managed wisely, also makes it easier to integrate holistic wellbeing practices. This includes the habit of taking active breaks, desk fitness or desk yoga. Creating a dedicated workspace and paying attention to ergonomics complete the virtuous cycle of benefits for one's wellbeing.

Remote working, if handled properly, is a transformative force that creates a virtuous cycle of autonomy, productivity and wellbeing. Data clearly show that benefits can often outweigh the potential challenges (such as the topic of disconnection, already covered in the article 'The Right to Disconnect: What It Is and How to Practice It'), with significant improvements in work-life balance.