A recent study, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), has highlighted the significant benefits of remote work, specifically as regards improved eating habits and lower blood pressure. This research, conducted in 2024, involved a comprehensive analysis of approximately 2,000 studies on remote and hybrid working arrangements, led by Neil Greenberg, a psychiatrist at King’s College London.
The study’s main findings indicate an increased predisposition towards healthier eating habits, as well as a reduction in stress levels, which in turn contributes to lower blood pressure. However, the study also reveals that remote work may be associated with risky behaviours, such as increased consumption of snacks, alcohol and tobacco, as well as being a contributing factor to weight gain.
Despite some employers’ concerns about the productivity of remote workers, the review concluded that they tend to work longer hours, have lower rates of sickness absence, and often extend their activities into evenings and weekends. Greenberg emphasised the importance of companies valuing remote work on a par with office-based work, ensuring adequate and sustainable conditions for carrying out work at home.
The research also highlights that the impacts of remote work on health and career progression are asymmetrical. Employees in better socio-economic circumstances tend to reap greater benefits, while those with domestic and family responsibilities, often women, show high levels of stress. In the area of health, an increase in the consumption of fruit and vegetables was found, although an increase in sedentary behaviour and weight gain was also recorded.
Greenberg recommended that managers adopt a proactive stance in supporting remote workers, warning that organisations that remain resistant to the working-from-home model risk losing valuable talent and falling behind in future crisis situations. The study suggests that managers should adapt their leadership and support to the individual circumstances of each employee, promoting working environments that are both healthy and integrated, regardless of where the tasks are carried out, whether at home or in the office.
