Working from home, the office, or an approach that combines both? Is there a definitive best solution for team members and your business?
How we work has undergone a dramatic change in recent years. While the COVID-19 pandemic helped to skew the balance towards working from home, the truth is that how we work was evolving for much of the decade before we all became familiar with lockdowns and social distancing in early 2020.
While remote work has become standard practice for many organisations, traditional office work plays a crucial role in workplace culture, which is one of several reasons why many companies have started insisting on team members spending more time in offices and, in some cases, telling people to return full-time.
Is working from home or working from the office better?
The reality is that both options have their pros and cons. Understanding them can help determine what will work best for you, your business, and your team members.
Depending on any specific requirements of your business, team members who work at home may enjoy greater flexibility when they have autonomy over their schedule, allowing them to work at their most productive times.
Buffer’s State of Remote Work 2023 report found that 22% of employees say flexibility is the most significant benefit of remote work.
Imagine you and your team members had almost an extra hour each day to relax or do something you loved. How would you spend that time?
In 2024, the United Kingdom’s Office for National Statistics found that working from home saves people an average of 56 minutes per day versus commuting to the office.
Commuting. Lunch. Work attire. Childcare.
What it costs an individual to get to the office quickly adds up. Allowing people to work from home means they can save a significant amount of money by not needing to consider these expenses.
There are savings for your business, too, as you can use a smaller office and redirect anything you spend on helping with travel or other expenses to different employee benefits.
Some people may find a quieter home environment can enhance concentration and efficiency, with the ability to avoid office distractions and the removal of any chance of being called into a long and impromptu meeting key components of this.
This 2025 Notta report outlines many reasons why working from home may increase productivity by up to 40%!
Giving people back those 56 minutes per day when they would otherwise be commuting means they can spend more time with loved ones, exercise, or keep their homes clean and tidy.
All this adds up to increased job satisfaction, better mental health outcomes, and happier humans.
Even people who enjoy working from home report that they miss office camaraderie.
A 2024 Resume Builder survey found that 1 in 4 remote workers said their social skills have declined, while 1 in 5 said isolation and a lack of social connections have led to a decline in their mental health.
Not every home worker has a dedicated office space.
Seeing the pile of unwashed dishes, the television in the corner of your eye, or having pets or family members walk around all day can make it challenging to maintain focus.
Flexibility is an advantage, but it can also be a drawback if it leads to people feeling like they’re constantly “on.” This can lead to people working longer hours – often to make up for times when they feel like they’ve not been fully focused – and may contribute to a greater risk of burnout.
While digital communication tools can help us stay connected when working from home, there’s no substitute for spontaneous interactions or the ability to walk over to someone’s desk and ask a question.
A 2021 study found that working from home made teams become more distant and siloed, which, in turn, made communication more challenging.
A 2024 Forbes report highlighted the potential negative impact working from home could have on career progression, citing fewer opportunities to network and reduced visibility with peers and superiors compared to those working hybrid or in the office full-time.
It is widely reported and accepted that being physically present in an office facilitates better collaboration, as it promotes teamwork, idea sharing, impromptu discussions, and the ability to make decisions quickly if necessary.
A dedicated space exclusively for working is excellent for reducing distractions and can create a clear separation and barrier between your work and personal life – so long as you can leave your work at the office!
Studies from the United States National Institutes of Health and the American Psychological Association highlight how social interaction directly correlates with job satisfaction.
These aren’t new trends, either – the latter study quoted above is from 2007!
Whether it’s meeting rooms, technology, quiet zones, collaboration spaces, or the open door to the general manager or HR team, working in the office provides a wealth of access to resources and support that simply aren’t available in the same way when you work from home.
As mentioned earlier, a 2024 Forbes report highlighted the potential downsides of working from home on career progression, so it stands to reason that the opposite is true.
Studies from various sources in different sectors, including the United States National Institutes of Health, which investigated data from China, and Good Move, a UK-based estate agent, highlight that longer commuting times and distances lead to higher stress and fatigue levels and a reduced overall quality of life.
Another study, published in Science Direct in late 2020, found that “active commuting,” i.e. walking or cycling, leads to better health outcomes and reduced stress and fatigue levels versus “passive commuting,” such as sitting on a train.
One potential option to deliver better outcomes to commuters is to allow them to make their commute part of their working day. So, for example, if an employee works eight hours a day, can their one-hour train journey one or both ways make up part of their day, so they still work eight hours but are only in the office for six or seven?
Everyone pays more for office-based work.
Employees will spend more on travel, commuting, work attire, lunch, and other expenses like childcare.
Employers will have higher expenses for things like office maintenance, utilities and supplies, and they may also need to offer additional benefits like free or subsidised travel or childcare to incentivise talent to come and work in their office.
Everyone is different, and a rigid office schedule of nine-to-five, or whatever standard office hours are in your location, may not suit some team members.
Employees who thrive on flexibility – and don’t see a reduction in their performance when working flexibly – may find office working restrictive, leading to lower productivity and job satisfaction and a potential job search elsewhere.
Let’s not pretend offices are distraction-free!
Even the most focused and productive of offices can be noisy and full of interruptions, especially in fast-paced and dynamic industries. And while having the option of a quick chat or meeting can be a benefit, getting constant taps on the shoulder isn’t ideal for the focus and concentration needed for deep work.
Spending long hours at the office, especially if your commute is a long one, can limit your personal time pretty much to weekends and holidays. This may, in turn, have a negative impact on your personal relationships and overall well-being.
The answer is the one that works best for your business and your team members, so only you know what that is.
Of course, there are some industries where being physically present in an office or another working environment will be essential, and others where employees never need to meet in person.
But ultimately, the sweet spot is the one that allows you to have a successful business driven by a team of happy, healthy team members, whether that's 100% in the office, 100% working from home, or a hybrid setup where individuals can tailor how they work to suit their own and the business' needs best.
At Now Health International, we offer an Employee Assistance Programme on all Group Plans, which can help your team members deal with various challenges, including work-life balance and managing their overall well-being.
Discover how our Group Plans can help you maintain your team’s well-being.