Home Office Setup Influences Work-From-Home Productivity
Dutch employees who have successfully transitioned to working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic attribute their productivity levels to a well-designed home office setup, according to a survey conducted by researchers at Maastricht University. The study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, reveals that employees who were more satisfied with their home office arrangements reported higher levels of productivity and lower instances of burnout.
While remote work has become increasingly prevalent in recent years, the physical home office environment and its impact on job satisfaction and productivity have received limited attention. To bridge this gap, the researchers surveyed 1,002 Dutch employees who were working from home. The participants provided information about their home office characteristics, productivity, job satisfaction, and related measures.
The results of the analysis indicated that employees who expressed higher levels of satisfaction with their home office setup, including factors such as temperature, noise, office chairs, and screens, reported greater productivity and a reduced likelihood of experiencing burnout.
Interestingly, the study also revealed that improved air ventilation in the home office was correlated with higher productivity, a stronger inclination to continue remote work in the future, and a decreased likelihood of burnout. This finding aligns with previous research linking air quality to workplace performance. However, the researchers identified a discrepancy between the reported satisfaction scores of indoor air and the measured levels of ventilation, highlighting the limitations of solely relying on subjective evaluations in policy and literature.
Based on these findings, the researchers suggest that investing in hardware and environmental factors for the home office, while incorporating objective measurements of the indoor climate, can significantly contribute to the success of remote work policies. Furthermore, they emphasize the need for further research to establish any causal relationships between the factors examined in this study.
The study underscores the importance of creating an optimal home office environment to enhance productivity and prevent burnout among remote workers. With remote work likely to persist in the coming years, providing employees with the necessary resources and supportive workspaces will be vital for their professional success and overall well-being.
Citation: Stroom M, Eichholtz P, Kok N (2024) Does working from home work? That depends on the home. PLoS ONE 19(8): e0306475. https://doi.org/10.1371/
