Is hybrid working bad for your wellbeing?
Is hybrid working bad for your wellbeing?
The Hybrid Working Nation research from the University of Nottingham has looked at the impact of new ways of working among 500 employees, the great majority of which have been remote or hybrid workers.
Of this group, 41% said they were “unhappy or depressed most or all of the time”. Issues with their work arrangements were most pronounced among younger employees. Scores for engagement among the under 20s were found to be 17% lower than the next 21-30 age bracket, and 18% lower than the 31-40 and 41-50 ranges. Responses from younger staff also pointed to lower levels of wellbeing.
Home alone
In response to the research findings, HR experts have argued for the renewed importance of having more time in the office. Younger employees were having more of a struggle with hybrid working because they’d had less time to establish connections with colleagues and their workplace in general; and they were less likely to have a separate, dedicated space in which to work — especially if they were still living at home.
The sense of isolation that comes with hybrid working on top of cost-of-living worries was causing a particular strain on younger staff with more fragile finances.
Early and targeted
EAPA UK Chair, Karl Bennett said: “The findings confirm what HR has suspected for some time, both that remote working isn’t for everyone, and that disconnection from the workplaces is hardest for younger and new staff to deal with.
“Practical arrangements for more regular time in the workplace, providing time for face-to-face meetings and social interaction will become increasingly important as part of the hybrid deal — but in itself won’t solve the knots of worries and issues faced by people. “Employers need to be making sure staff in general, but younger groups in particular, are aware of the support provided by EAPs, targeting their comms and publicity campaigns around those kinds of specific needs: making sure younger staff feel comfortable with speaking with an EAP about any sense of isolation or other nagging concerns, and doing so early before their wellbeing is affected in more serious ways.”