A weak read as we head into late 2024
Insight
Working from home can significantly improve work life balance, however, can also bring on other health concerns, particularly for mental health and feelings of isolation.
The impact of COVID-19 on working arrangements in Australia has been profound, with many of us still working from home more than 12 months after the outbreak of the pandemic in the country. While social distancing has been crucial to stopping the spread of the virus, working from home can bring on other health concerns, particularly for mental health and feelings of isolation. But it can also significantly improve work-life balance, connection to family and the ability to meet caring responsibilities, commute stress and cost, and feelings of wellbeing, without compromising productivity and focus. In fact, Australians believe the single greatest positive benefit of working from home has been their ability to get work done. As life begins to return to some semblance of “normality” and people filter back to their workplaces, what of the future? In this special NAB Health Wellbeing Insight report, we explore some key issues around working from home, including how Australians view their ideal working situation, how current working arrangements are impacting key aspects of our lives and what we have missed most since working from home.
On balance, working from home has been an extremely positive experience for most people, and ideally Australians wish to do so even more in the future, despite some concerns around loneliness, loss of informal interactions and the challenges of balancing work and home life. While many would like to work more from home, gender, income and location play a key role in determining whether this option is even available. This raises potential issues of inequality with workers typically on lower incomes missing out on some of the positive wellbeing and lifestyle benefits reported by those who are now working more from home.
Get all the insights in the NAB Health Wellbeing Insight Report – Working From Home
© National Australia Bank Limited. ABN 12 004 044 937 AFSL and Australian Credit Licence 230686.