Remote workers are making the most of their new professional lifestyle, according to two researchers from Carleton University, who argue that making conscious, healthy decisions is key to a successful teleworking position.
In a new study published in the Environmental Science and Engineering book series magazine, researchers Farzam Sepanta and Liam O’Brien found that remote work has its benefits and drawbacks, but many workers feel more productive and believe their overall quality of life has increased since making the switch.
Since the pandemic, teleworking has become hugely popular. Many polls since the pandemic have indicated an increased interest in or preference for remote work careers.
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Sepanta says it’s no surprise that their interviewees felt the same.
“People enjoy teleworking so much that some of them were willing to change their careers to remain teleworkers,” he said. “Can we say the quality of life increases? We definitely need a larger sample size to know for sure, but we can say that people are interested in teleworking and … it can improve their lives.”
For the study, the pair conducted in-depth interviews with over a dozen remote workers who moved more than 20 kilometres away from their original location when they switched to teleworking.
Positive benefits for employees
“Our proposal was approved before COVID-19 happened,” Sepanta says. “We were trying to see how technology can improve teleworking and what the impacts are on different domains like transportation, offices and homes. Now we’re almost back to normal, but the big difference is there’s a widespread adoption of teleworking. It gives us an opportunity to study how people are living.”
The report, which will be followed by another larger study in the coming months, indicated that working remotely can have a number of positive benefits for employees.
For one, workers tend to have more flexibility, allowing them to move outside of city centres without worrying about long commutes to the office. Sepanta says the majority of interviewees decided to make the move to be closer to nature, find more kid-friendly neighbourhoods to raise a family, or to purchase larger homes for a more affordable price.
“People in general wanted a bigger home because they wanted a home office,” says Sepanta.
But Sepanta argues that teleworking success is dependent on the employee’s ability to make healthy lifestyle choices.
“You can be a healthy and sustainable teleworker as long as you make conscious decisions,” he says.
For example, the majority of interviewees, many of whom moved to homes near nature, became more physically active instead of less due to their proximity to hiking trails. But some decreased their physical activity and became more confined to their homes.
“It’s something very personal,” says Sepanta.
Easy to experience ‘home fever’
There were similar trends when it came to social interaction. Some interviewees maintained healthy social lives that weren’t reliant on professional interactions, instead spending time with family, friends and acquaintances through recreational activities.
But without a water cooler to gather around, it’s easy to become more isolated. In those cases, workers may begin to experience what Sepanta calls “home fever.”
“It’s when you feel restlessness or irritability, or that sudden urge most of us experienced that we need to get out and get some fresh air,” he says. “From what we’ve seen, cabin fever (for remote workers) can be easily prevented to make sure your productivity stays up.”
Sepanta recommends taking regular walks and breaks throughout the day, as you would in a regular office setting. A quick trip to grab a coffee or simply spending some time away from your screen to get outside can keep those symptoms at bay, he says.
But social interaction can be a challenge.
Sepanta found that the effect of teleworking on social needs varied case by case. Some interviewees were introverts, other extroverts; some had a partner or children at home, and others were single.
Their level of social interaction also varied based on how far away they were from their friends following their move. If they needed to get in a car to meet up, it could hurt their level of socialization.
“If you’re a teleworker, making conscious decisions means that you look at all those aspects before moving farther away,” he said. “Social interaction is definitely one of those things that can help you not isolate and not experience home fever, but that degree that you want to settle is case by case.”
