Remote Work Makes Workers Happier and More Likely to Stick Around

A new study of 7,704 workers, published recently in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, showed that fully-remote workers had the highest levels of well-being, while those who were 100% in the office ranked lowest.

In the words of the study’s authors, in a statement to Fortune: “Our findings challenge the idea that simply bringing people back into a building will automatically make them more engaged, connected, or likely to stay.”

“The mistake is treating physical presence as the outcome rather than asking what organizations are trying to accomplish through it. If the goal is collaboration, mentoring, innovation, relationship-building, or organizational culture, then employers should design experiences that actually produce those outcomes.”

Stefanie Johnson and Courtney Holladay, study co-authors

The study further found that fully-remote workers were more likely to stick around – their higher levels of well-being strongly correlated with longer retention periods and less voluntary turnover.

RWN’s Take

The study’s findings undermine many of the core arguments of return-to-office (RTO) advocates like Elon Musk or Jamie Dimon, who hold that remote work leads to disconnected, unproductive employees.

Instead, the research suggests that the pressures of being forced into a physical office damages an employee’s sense of autonomy and well-being, without any measurable productivity gains in return.

Another common criticism of remote work is that it makes it harder to build a consistent company culture. The study addresses this issue, too, as the paper’s authors suggest that remote work can actually lead to slightly higher levels of positive engagement with their peers and colleagues. The key is to be intentional and consistent, encouraging managers to be diligent about 1:1 check-ins and other rituals around open communication.

Ultimately, the paper gives a lot of backing to something that many remote work-first teams already know: Working remotely can make for happier, more productive, and more engaged teams, as long as you’re using the right tools in the right ways.