Working from home usually boosts productivity, but less so during the pandemic

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2022-10-13 05:00

Australia; International; VIC

Photo by Jason Strull on Unsplash

Working from home can often boost productivity but this was less likely to be the case during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a review by Australian and international researchers. The team chose 37 studies to analyse, two-thirds of which were conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic. Pre-pandemic, the researchers say the majority of studies showed working from home boosted productivity and performance and most positive impacts on work life overall were noted. However for mid-pandemic studies, they say 23% showed positive impacts, 38% reported negative impacts and another 38% reported mixed results. The researchers say while more studies are needed especially around productivity and performance, their research indicates non-mandatory working-from-home arrangements may be more successful.

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conference: PLOS ONE

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Organisation/s: La Trobe University, Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, Canada

Funder: The research was co-funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and the Government of Canada’s Future Skills program through Skills and Work in Digital Economy Funding Competition. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Initials of authors who received the award: AY, MY, JO, and BNK SSHRC Ref.: 872- 2020-0029 Funding Agency Website: https://www. sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/home-accueil-eng.aspx.

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