Kantar has recently found that 85% of workers are satisfied with their employer’s remote work policy, and nearly 7 out of 10 people (whose job function could be performed remotely) are spending more time working from home now than pre-pandemic.
How is this impacting workers’ physical and mental health and wellness? Explore Kantar’s findings from our Connecting with Hybrid Workers research here.
Physical health is improving due to increased remote working
When asked to rate their physical health now that they are working remotely more frequently, 64% of global respondents say their physical health improved. This is higher for Gen-Z and Millennials (around 70%), and lower for Gen-X and Boomers (around 60%).
India has the highest percentage of respondents (79%) reporting an improvement in physical health, while Germany has the lowest percent (46%) of people reporting an improvement in physical health.
The most important factors contributing to improved physical health are feeling more relaxed at home (69%), followed by having more time to exercise (57%), and getting more sleep (52%).
Among the 8% globally whose physical health has actually suffered from more remote working, 62% report changes in their weight, 53% poorer posture, and 52% more aches and pains. In addition, increased tiredness and worsening eyesight affect Gen-Z respondents (40%) more than other generations.
Emotional health is improving due to increased remote working
Physical health changes are mirrored in emotional health, with 62% reporting improvements thanks to increased remote working. Again, this is highest among people aged between 18-40.
For all respondents, the greatest benefit of increased remote working to mental health is the comfort of being at home, reported by 74% of respondents.
Reduced stress from not commuting benefits 63%, and is more important for people aged between 40-75. 56% of respondents agree that remote working allows them to spend more time with loved ones, leading to improved mental wellness.
Globally, 9% reported negative effects on emotional health, with higher levels in France (10%) and Germany (9%). Feelings of isolation and not leaving home enough are the strongest negative impacts, affecting over half of all the respondents across all generations and countries.
Get more answers
For more findings from this study, access the complete Community Report: Connecting with Hybrid Workers. Find additional generational and country-specific answers on sentiments toward hybrid working, changes in shopping behaviours and payment methods due to hybrid working, and hybrid working’s impact on lifestyle, health, and more.
About this study
This research was conducted online among 7,985 full or part-time workers (whose job function could be performed remotely at least part-time) across eight global markets: US, UK, France, Germany, India, Singapore, Mainland China and Brazil between January 14-15, 2022. All interviews were conducted as online self-completion and collected based on controlled quotas evenly distributed between generations and gender by country.
Respondents were sourced from the Kantar Profiles Audience Network.
