Remote work is great — but home office conditions often aren’t
I want to be clear — I support remote work. I myself have worked remotely for the last 5 years and have experienced many benefits. I have also helped a few companies set their remote work processes right. Research [#1] mirrors my observations: in most cases, job satisfaction increases and turnover intent decreases when people work remotely.
However, I see many firms moving back to office work. KPMG recently published a study [#2] saying that 63% CTOs want their staff back in the offices. I believe that this decision is done at least partly because the managers see the performance of home office employees going down compared to those sitting in the office. But I’d argue that one of the reasons for the decline is right in the hands of management.
Some aspects of home office work conditions that can negatively impact remote workers’ productivity, and managers can easily control these aspects.
This article investigates various factors that can negatively affect work performance and employee well-being in a remote setting. The purpose of this study is to raise awareness of the impact of these factors.
Ergonomics
Investing in ergonomic office setups is a common practice for many companies. Many countries also have workplace standards that regulate factors such as the amount of space per person, humidity, and lighting.
However, according to the 2022 systematic review of working conditions and occupational health in home office [#3], home offices often lack proper ergonomic conditions. There are also no governmental regulations or standards that require companies to cover the costs of setting up ergonomic workplaces in each remote employee’s home.
The study goes on to review several important work conditions that can influence performance and well-being, including lighting, CO2 levels, temperature, furniture, and noise and distraction levels. For this article, I’ll focus only on aspects of the home office which can be easily controlled.
Lighting
A lack of properly designed lighting in home offices is a common issue that can negatively impact overall performance.
Research [#4] has shown that exposure to bright light with a high proportion of short blue wavelengths during the day can increase alertness, concentration, reaction time, and task accuracy, while also decreasing fatigue and promoting better sleep and regulating the body’s internal clock. In contrast, darker and blue-depleted light can have the opposite effect.
Ventilation and CO2
Office settings typically have ventilation systems designed to provide a sufficient amount of oxygen and to maintain CO2 levels at a tolerable level. Many countries have workplace standards for CO2 levels.
Research [#5] indicates that high CO2 levels in indoor air can negatively impact employee performance by causing physiological effects that decrease the worker’s functional ability.
Home offices are often not equipped with ventilation systems that are of the same quality as those in office settings. As a result, employees often do not have control over CO2 levels, which can negatively impact their performance. However, they can ventilate their working room by regularly opening windows.
Temperature
The study [#6] examines the effects of suboptimal temperature and illumination on health and performance. It finds that indoor room temperature and lighting have a significant impact on the performance of workers, with temperature being a greater influence (38.56%) than lighting (19.91%). The study suggests that maintaining optimal temperature (21°C) and lighting (1000lux) can improve the work performance, health, and productivity of office workers.
Chairs
In-office chairs provided by the company are usually much more ergonomic than average household chairs. Work from home employees could, of course, purchase their own ergonomic chairs, but high-quality ergonomic chairs generally cost several hundreds of dollars. Many employees may be unable to justify that expense, and will suffer physical problems and decreased performance as a result.
Research [#7] shows that prolonged sitting can lead to musculoskeletal disorders, such as those in the neck, back, and upper extremities, caused by poor posture. While many companies provide ergonomic chairs for their office-based employees, they often do not extend this benefit or provide education about the negative impact of poor posture on health and performance to their home office employees.
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Desks
An increasing number of companies have introduced sit-stand desks in the office to help with employee’s health and productivity. A meta-study [#8] has found that using sit-stand desks does not decrease productivity and other research [#9] revealed that using sit-stand desks had a positive impact on health, particularly reducing sedentary time during working hours and improving health markers such as FMD, triglycerides, and insulin resistance.
However, home office workers may face limitations in the type of desks they can use due to space and cost constraints.
Noise levels
Elevated noise levels have a detrimental effect on employee performance. A study [#10] conducted in France discovered that noise is a major source of discomfort for employees engaged in intellectual work. Another experimental study [#11] showed that severe noise exposure and poor sound conditions trigger physiological changes that can increase stress and impair task performance.
While in-office employees may deal with unwanted distractions and noises, companies have more control over where offices are located and the acceptable level of noise within the workplace. Work from home employees, on the other hand, are expected to work from wherever they reside.
Various factors such as geographic location, family members who live in the home, and even building materials can negatively impact the level of noise and distractions in a home office. For example, a company looking at office buildings might decide to pay more to lease a building that’s further away from street noise. A work from home employee would not have the same option and could be expected to work from their home while listening to a noisy highway all day long.
Companies should dedicate more resources to improving home office conditions
While companies may not have much control over the design of their employees’ homes, they can address various negative impacts on ergonomics through employee education and the reimbursement of expenses.
Some companies, such as GitLab, handle employee education on the topic of ergonomics [#12] efficiently. However, the issue of expenses arises, specifically the question of who should cover these costs and to what extent. This question is viewed from three perspectives: ethical, practical, and regulatory.
Ethical
Remote work results in substantial savings for the employer in terms of office rent and other expenses. It is left to the management to determine if these savings should be shared with the employees.
Pragmatic
The studies [#13] indicate that healthier employees are more productive and engaged employees tend to have longer tenure with the company.
The AON study [#14] highlights that an increasing number of companies are looking into covering expenses related to remote work setup. Companies such as Shopify and Basecamp offer from $1000 to $2000 [#15, #16] for home office equipment while GitLab offers even more reimbursement [#17]. It is the decision of management to determine the level of investment they want to make in enhancing employee loyalty, productivity, and reducing employee turnover.
Regulatory
Certain countries and states have specific reimbursement regulations in place. For example, California requires employers to reimburse reasonable business expenses according to Labor code section 2802 [#18].
According to CDF [#19], California employers can anticipate being responsible for covering the “basic costs” such as internet, personal cell phone and laptop usage, and certain utilities for remote workers. Moreover, lawyers are currently challenging these regulations by seeking reimbursement for furniture, potential rent, and other unconventional expenses. The interpretation of the law in this regard by California courts is yet to be determined.
Therefore, it is crucial for management to seek legal advice to minimize the risk of lawsuits.
At Qase, we furnish our employees with the latest MacBook Pro laptops and provide coverage for any additional home office furniture expenses as needed.
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Engineering Manager
9moFinally. In one of my first projects, we studied how employee wellbeing affects employee engagement and productivity. As in many other case studies, we found that every dollar invested in an employee is returned in three. I repeat. 1$ in wellbeing return in 3$ revenue. For me the best investment I have made in myself over the last year is a good ergonomic chair. It has increased my efficiency more than all productivity practices put together. Good chair > gtd