A four-year Australian study has shed new light on one of the biggest workplace shifts of our time: working from home. Starting before the pandemic and continuing through the years that followed, researchers from the University of South Australia tracked how teleworking impacts employees’ daily lives. Their findings are clear: when it’s a choice rather than an obligation, remote work significantly boosts happiness, health, and overall well-being.
The Real Benefits of Working from Home
The pandemic acted as an accelerator, forcing millions into telework almost overnight. What many considered a temporary adjustment soon turned into a lifestyle change. This research, unique because it began before COVID-19, followed Australian workers across four years, offering an unusually comprehensive view of telework’s long-term effects.
The conclusion? The flexibility to work from home provides measurable benefits for both physical and mental health. While not without its challenges, the data strongly suggest that remote work can be a powerful tool for creating healthier, more balanced lives.
More Sleep, Less Stress
One of the most immediate effects of working from home was better sleep. On average, remote workers gained an extra 30 minutes of rest per night. Considering that Australians used to spend around 4.5 hours a week commuting, this isn’t surprising. Long commutes have long been linked to poor mental health and higher stress levels. By eliminating or reducing these daily journeys, employees experienced more energy, less fatigue, and greater peace of mind.
Although researchers noted a slight uptick in alcohol consumption during the early months of lockdowns, the overall trend was overwhelmingly positive, with clear improvements in mental well-being.
The Time-Saving Equation: Productivity Meets Personal Life
The time saved from not commuting proved to be invaluable. Some workers used it to get ahead on projects or manage household responsibilities, while others invested it in family care. Interestingly, about a third of that saved time was directed toward leisure and physical activity.
This balance between productivity and personal enrichment shows that remote work doesn’t simply give back hours—it redistributes them in healthier ways. Similar studies in Spain even suggest that teleworkers effectively gain up to 10 extra days of free time per year, time that can reduce sedentary behavior and improve overall health.
Eating Better at Home
Another notable change was in eating habits. While easy access to the kitchen did encourage more snacking at first, the broader trend leaned toward healthier meals. The study highlighted an increase in fruit, vegetable, and dairy consumption, along with more home-cooked dishes. Workers reported being more mindful about what they ate, proof that working from home can influence not just schedules, but also nutrition.
Addressing the Big Question: Productivity
Skepticism about remote work often comes down to productivity. Many managers worry that without oversight, employees might slack off. Yet the Australian study—echoing findings from other countries—suggests the opposite: performance is maintained, and in many cases, improved.
The key lies in distinguishing between forced telework and chosen telework. When working from home is mandated, as it was during strict lockdowns, well-being can decline due to isolation and stress. But when employees have the choice, their motivation and satisfaction rise.
That said, concerns remain about team cohesion and workplace relationships. While building camaraderie is more difficult at a distance, the research emphasizes that productivity does not suffer, and with the right support systems, collaboration can still thrive.
Towards a New Work Philosophy
The bigger takeaway from this multi-year study is not just about productivity or sleep—it’s about redefining how we view work itself. Employees who work remotely, either full-time or in hybrid models, consistently report higher job satisfaction, improved health, and a greater sense of control over their lives.
However, remote work is not a universal solution. It won’t suit every job, industry, or personality. Instead, it should be seen as one option within a more flexible, inclusive work environment. The real challenge for companies is to design systems that accommodate diverse needs, creating customized approaches that balance business performance with employee well-being.
As the researchers put it, this isn’t about choosing sides—remote versus office—but about building a future of work that embraces both.
The Australian study confirms what many workers have felt for years: flexibility matters. By cutting commuting stress, encouraging healthier lifestyles, and maintaining productivity, working from home has proven to be far more than a pandemic stopgap.
For employees, it means better well-being and more freedom. For businesses, it’s a chance to rethink management, culture, and performance. And for society, it marks the beginning of a new philosophy of work—one that values balance as much as output.
Some jobs need a lab like mine; I need to be in the lab most of my time. Yes, I agree with you that the option to work at home really helps, even for my job.
In big govt offices working from home with scrum to summarize the targets of the current sprint in 3 sentences made product owners to enjoy making consultants wrute down …. Read my lips!! Some experts would ralk for hours and days like they were filibustering only for us to realize that the logic was actually the opposite of what was written down as per the wuse crack heads. It felt nice to gear that the thing blew up in the face. Remote wirk builds small gangs that talk among themselves while the team is not even aware of what is going on. Now we have AI and people are being told they better learn to stay at home. It is very lonely in the office!!
Clearly these scientists are not married or newly married 😀
I can only imagine that reading your lips would be easier than trying to make sense out of whatever it was you are trying to say in that nonsensical post.
I do not think this is true for all people. I did not like talking to a therapist that was doing the dishes and cleaning the bathroom. I also did not like like barn animals in the background of calls.
Them working at home wasn’t the problem. Lack of phone manners and being unprofessional are the problems.
As a therapist I would recommend reporting that therapist. Jus because she is WORKING from home, s/he should be focused on the client. You diserve their undivided attention. Anything less is unprofessional.
I completely agree. Cleaning her house while she’s on the phone with a client? Shame on her! She knows better.
Try getting a nurse to work from home. A cop or a bricklayer or landscaping!
I was skeptical about working from home. Then the pandemic hit and had to do it. Three years later, when the return-to-office happened, I didn’t want to. It was a big influence in deciding to retire this year.
Yep…I am semi-retired, “remotely yours” employee or not employed at all. I’m glad to work but I’ll take a big pay cut and stay home over more money and office aggravation.
Took scientists 4 years and god knows how much tax money to find something out every one already knew.
Wait what? You mean… people don’t like going to work? That’s mind-blowing! It seems as though being forced to work to survive is horrible and people would rather be home? Is that the discovery these scientific geniuses have brilliantly decoded with their groundbreaking research? Astonishing!
ROFL…that was exactly my first thoughts when I read this article. It’s like… “duh!” Those of us who work mostly from our computers and have to think to do our jobs (and who are alone during work hours) know how much more you get done when some yammering coworker isn’t dropping by your office or you can’t concentrate from the noise going on in the halls. I don’t want to build friendships or teams or move up or manage or have “work families.” I want to do my job and go home. And if I can do my job and stay home, that’s even better.
I tried working from home, but it’s tough fueling an Airbus A-321 from my living room. Dog and cats fussed about it, too.
Would you please add author credit for the original researchers and institution?
It might make us happier but it’s questionable whether it helps overall productivity
Absolutely correct!
people over progress not progress over people.
Depending on the profession, there is nearly zero mentoring or institutional learning for home workers. If your business requires good rapport and interaction between employees, have them come to the office.
Personally, I prefer to work somewhere other than home. I find it harder to maintain productivity and avoid personal distractions at home.
Maybe happier but not more productive. If I could play with the dog or throw my laundry in the dryer while working sure that would make me happier. There are a reasons companies are making people come back to work productivity and profits.
Wrong
Yes, correct! Boldness and dishonesty of working from home population truly bothers me. I see them all the time shopping, walking the dog and doing home repairs with ear or head phones. No , work from home encourages lesser productivity for sure.
it’s people over progress, not the other way around.
I heard that one reason they wanted people to come back to work in DC. Was because the restaurants were not being filled up at lunch time. People weren’t walking around and shopping. They weren’t using the Metro systems. So this was hurting the businesses and they wanted the businesses up like the restaurants and so forth to be up and running. So people were spending less money and as we read in the article eating more healthy
Well, no sh*t it makes you happier; you’re not having somebody watching what you do and you only have to do half the damn work.
Not working in close proximity with a-holes is a benefit.
Yes!
Deez hits the nail on the head. Did we really need scientists and studies to tell us this? What a waste of time and money. I work in sales and so commissions =job performance drives your productivity. We have been working from home for decades. The really interesting thing we learned during the pandemic was that not physically visiting customers did not affect our sales numbers one bit. Millions of dollars were saved in airfare, rental cars, hotels, meals and other expenses.
Of course people like working from home, because there not working.
Bootlickers like you are the exact reason that billionaires will rule everything while the rest of us toil to make them more money. People over profits.
I wish this were more of a focus in the US. The “Big Boss” style CEOs are determined to do everything they can to keep people’s lives under their thumbs
Because working from home is less productive and requires less effort. It takes twice as many work from home employees to get the job done.
Nope, the dinosaurs want us in the office “where they can keep an eye on us”, disregarding entirely that I have a set workload and it would be blazingly, blindingly obvious if I was slacking. It’s all about control, and some jack wagon middle manager that wants a captive audience for their “should’ve been an email” hour-long self-congratulatory meetings.
I agree 100%. The financial tech company that I worked for just didn’t get it. They went the other way and brought everybody back into the office. I couldn’t wait to retire.
All those arguing remote work is less productive clearly are not facing the reality that most offices have a large portion of busy-bodies who spend most of the day gossiping and chumming about stealing ideas, inciting rumors, and distracting others from getting actual work done to cover up their own lack of productivity and/or originality. So many imposters use the office to hide their laziness and lack of qualifications behind the office distractions they create. When working remotely, it’s easy to see your individual work product, especially on group projects. And, a good remote manager does not struggle to mentor or create collaborative experiences. Remote work does highlight the shortcomings of what we’re already bad managers promoted simply as a result of nepositism or cronyism (see distractions above for more on this). Managers who did not have any managment tools beyond “chair watching” and “clock watching” are obviously not qualified to manage remote teams. Focus more on training employees and less on excuses for why workers can’t work remotely and everyone can be happier and more productive.
I agree. When I was working from home I was a lot happier and waaayyyyy less stressed, and not that working from home was not stressful at times of course. After being laid off I would love to find work from home again.
Same thing happened to my daughter. She is also looking for a remote desktop support position. We are sad
Yes! Working from home is more relaxing but here researcher has not focused on performance analysis, supervision, control, productivity. This is one side of employee’s personal wellbeing, comfort zone, and relaxation. The different jobs and roles requires detailed review to decide how much it is beneficial for both. Win, Win or Win-Loser.
Always interesting to see the perspective of “office workers” and how grueling it must be to go in to work. How rough their life is by the demands of working in warm / cool, dry, clean spaces. While the lesser people that build, clean, tend to their comforts are marginalized or discounted all together.
I think a lot of the pushback against remote work comes from frustration with the U.S. workforce model itself. Our country ranks 59th out of 60 globally for work–life balance, and that’s not because people aren’t working hard—it’s because the system prioritizes quantity over quality. Minimum wage is far below a livable level in most areas, which forces people to work multiple jobs or long hours just to survive. That creates resentment, and understandably, some people in roles that must be in-person (retail, service, pilots, nurses, mechanics, etc.) may feel it’s unfair that others have more flexibility.
But the solution isn’t to deny remote options—it’s to recognize that different jobs have different possibilities and balance them accordingly. For example, surgeons, caregivers, or nurses may need to be physically present for procedures, but they can still benefit from remote time for charting, planning, and admin. Flexibility doesn’t have to mean “everyone works from home 100% of the time”; it can mean thoughtful structuring that improves both productivity and worker well-being.
And as for the comment about a therapist doing dishes—those are individual professionalism issues, not a flaw of the remote model. That’s something to handle directly or by finding another provider. Remote work itself doesn’t breed unprofessionalism—micromanagement does. Micromanaging adults creates low morale, anxiety, and burnout, while autonomy fosters trust, efficiency, and job satisfaction.
In fact, companies would get far more return by investing in quarterly team-building and company-sponsored events instead of forcing people into cubicles for 8–12 hours a day. Sitting in an office under constant supervision doesn’t motivate people to go above and beyond; it usually has the opposite effect. When employees feel trusted, supported, and connected through purposeful gatherings—not mandatory office presence—they’re more likely to bring energy, creativity, and loyalty to their work. There will always be a few bad apples, but vast majority of professionals are able to get more work done in a shorter timeframe. This is why they have more free time! It an incentive that when I finish my work for the day, I’m able to do something else productive instead of watching the clock because I have to be in the office for 3 more hours.
I’ve noticed the only ones that dislike working from home are the gossipers that spend their entire day going from desk to desk annoying co workers and managers that can’t figure out how to monitor productivity
Does that mean that the one housewife/mother/caregiver on duty 24 hours a day 7 days a week is happier too ?
Of course they want to work from home.
Go in to work, 8 hours.
Work from home, work maybe 2 hours.
Why do you think they’re all crying about actually GOING TO WORK.
Got a BC Government employee next door, spends most of the day outside or in their pool.
Does it though?
People don’t know how to interact face to face anymore. So people have less social interactions, and when they do, now they are anxious over those interactions, so they prefer to stay home. In that regard, remote work can be a self fulfilling prophecy.
Remote work is a huge boon to rural communities! Is also reduces traffic in urban areas. Many rural communities suddenly had people moving in instead of out. That helped local businesses and small cities.
I don’t mean to be an anti-intellectual about this, but I don’t think you need a PHD and a four year study to come to obvious conclusions like “people don’t like commuting to the office” or ” people like being in their own space”. Like, yeah, no shit buddy.
What you need the scientists for is to give validity to the information everybody else knows. The big man at the top can disregard employees’ comments with “it’s just a disgruntled few. Let them quit if they aren’t happy!” But when it’s brought to their attention that the problem is widespread, they might (not betting on this!) start to begin to consider changing their employment model.
Agreed. Working from home has made me happier and more productive. I don’t have to sit in traffic for an hour to get to work. Then when I get to work, I don’t have to deal with constant interruptions from the office chatter box who feels the need to come and talk to me while I’m trying to get work done. I also don’t have to spend almost 2 hours in traffic trying to get back home. Yes, I love my remote job. I can also work from anywhere.
It depends on the line of work, and there are very clear metrics of productivity in every line of work.
Obviously you can not drive an Airbus or repair an earthquake damaged road from home. You also can not clean hotel rooms or run your barbershop from home.
Some professions, however, are quite effectively done from home and companies are actually using people’s living rooms as office space, to avoid paying rent. You don’t need to go into the office in order to write a report for a client. You can collaborate quite well on zoom and use editing software on microsoft to get the job done. Some companies have half the desk available, than employees who are assigned to that office. That is quite understandable in high rent districts like Manhattan or Los Angeles.
You miss a salient point. Working from home increases the animosity between the classes. Also increases the entitlement and isolation of those working from home. We need to start looking at the big picture
This article is so flawed it’s not funny
Of course when you ask people if they like working from home they will say yes.
And as far as productivity give me a break. The only thing they get done is stuff around the house.
I work with people that whine all the time about having to come in to the office 3 days a week when a lot of us never worked from home. And we get fed up with hearing how much money they brag about saving
Grow up and go back to the office