A new report by Gallup has said that although fully remote workers report higher engagement, they are less likely to be thriving in their lives overall than hybrid workers and on-site remote-capable workers.

The study showed that fully remote employees are more likely to report experiencing anger, sadness, and loneliness than hybrid and on-site workers.

It said they are more likely to report experiencing a lot of stress the previous day than on-site workers, while having about the same stress level as hybrid workers.

The differences, the report said, hold when accounting for income. The report suggests that being a fully remote worker is often more mentally and emotionally taxing than working on-site or working in a hybrid arrangement.

Given several factors, it explained that physical distance could create mental distance, autonomy could be stressful, even as technology could be frustrating.

For some employees, it explained that remote work might feel like “just work,” without the friendships, team lunches, storytelling, and camaraderie that on-site and hybrid work could provide.

According to it, “Isolation can increase loneliness and, in the absence of social support, contribute to sadness and anger. Spending time with others plays a key role in positive life evaluations. For example, sharing meals with others is as strong an indicator of well-being as income.

This could help explain why fully remote workers are less likely to be thriving than their remote-capable on-site peers.”
For stressful autonomy, it stated that many employees want more autonomy in their work.

While it could boost engagement by giving employees more control over their time, it explained that too much autonomy could create stress.

According to it, managing time independently and coordinating work with others can become difficult without clear boundaries.
It stated that the fact that both remote and hybrid workers report higher stress might indicate that flexibility comes with a cognitive burden.
For instance, it stated that globally, 57 per cent of fully remote workers are actively looking or passively watching for new job opportunities.

It said that when fully remote workers are both engaged and thriving, only 38 per cent would be looking for new job opportunities.

“By supporting both engagement and well-being, employers can protect their remote workforce. Leaders should embrace the advantages of remote work, such as flexible workflows, while also addressing the psychological effects of working alone by encouraging social interactions,” it said.