Does Working From Home Impact Employee Mental Health?

In line with World Mental Health Day, a Knight Frank LinkedIn poll has revealed that 89% of employees feel their mental health has been impacted by working from home.

In our latest LinkedIn poll, we asked: 

Following the seismic shift in all of our working lives as a result of Covid-19, we're keen to hear how this has impacted your mental health.

Has working from home made you feel isolated? Is having to commute into an office despite the ongoing pandemic making you feel anxious? Or has your mental health remained largely unchanged?

As the world of work evolves, how can you stay competitive?

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The poll welcomed 731 responses, of which 49% reported that working from home has had a positive impact on their mental health, while 40% said it has had a negative impact. Just 9% of employees felt that working from home has had no impact on their mental health.

Amanda Lim, Head of Knight Frank’s Flexible Office Solutions, explained: “It’s fascinating to see how divided the results are. For some, this new way of working has given us more time at home with family, reduced the stress of commuting and allowed us to focus on exercise and wellbeing. For others, however, this new way of working has blurred work-life boundaries, pushed us to work longer hours and made us feel as though we’re living at work.”

She continued: “The one thing that’s abundantly clear from the results of the poll is that everyone’s experience is different, and employees need flexibility and choice when it comes to their workplace. Not only is this crucial for the mental wellbeing of staff, but also for the health of every business.”

In commenting on the poll, Elliot Jones, Digital Marketing Manager at Knight Frank, explained: “There are days in my week when I am so grateful for the ability to work from home, no questions asked. [But] the next day, I [can be] sat at my desk for 12 hours, having not spoken to a human being and I hate it. This middle ground we find ourselves in now, where we can work from home, but offices are accommodating and face to face [interaction] is becoming more acceptable, leans me to the side of 'positive impact’.”

Another respondent, Brian Nicholas, also commented: “[In] managing the return to work, we've seen both [experiences] from staff. [Some] staff [are] having trouble adapting to WFH both mentally and physically, either with family dynamics [or] home schooling, [while some] have suffered from prolonged periods of isolation. [Others] have also suffered through months of poor ergonomics. It's easy to forget the 70-odd years of industrial design into office furniture.

“Once we enter a more equitable environment based on choice where one can choose their environment for the week, a combination of WFH or the office, then I would expect to see a more positive trend [from a] hybrid model.”

For some, this new way of working has given us more time at home with family, reduced the stress of commuting and allowed us to focus on exercise and wellbeing. For others, however, this new way of working has blurred work-life boundaries, pushed us to work longer hours and made us feel as though we’re living at work.

Amanda Lim

Head of Flexible Office Solutions

Likewise, Gerald Bowers, Editor of the Retford Property Blog, echoed this sentiment, noting that everyone’s experience has been different: “For those who have a 'home office', barn, garage [or] spare room, WFH could be okay. [And] if the 'home office' has a door on it, [that’s even] better. You can then check out of work and return to normal home life. [But] if not, [work-life] balance is out the window.”

On the other side of the debate, Euan Hall, Chief Executive at The Land Trust, explained: “I think WFH is going to be a major cause of mental ill health in years to come. People are naturally sociable – we need face to face interaction. Companies [that] ignore this risk [do so] at their peril.”

However, as Paul French, Facility Manager at RetPro commented: “There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to work and mental health.”

That’s why businesses need to engage with their employees to understand what’s right for them on a case by case basis – then offer the means to that preferred set up – whether that’s an office to use as they wish or a flexible working policy that offers a sense of autonomy.