Employees working from home experience more intense work and lower well-being than their office-based counterparts, a new report by project WeLaR found. The study also revealed that while some digital technologies exacerbate work demands, others, such as AI and automation, help mitigate them.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, teleworking was relatively rare in the European Union, with only 5.4% of workers regularly working from home. By 2022, that number reached 10.2%, with an additional 12.2% teleworking occasionally.
While many hailed telework as a way to improve work-life balance, the study “Consequences of the Expansion of Work from Home and Digitalisation on Teleworkers’ Work Intensification, Mental Health, and Well-Being”, which examines data from 17 European countries, shows that the greater flexibility comes at the cost of more intense work. Remote workers often feel the need to prove themselves, leading to longer hours and more demanding workdays. At the same time, they are less likely to report high well-being levels.
Digitalisation has significantly shaped the telework experience, but its effect on work intensity and mental health is far from uniform and varies depending on which digital tools are used.
“Our study highlights the complexity of digitalisation’s impact on telework and suggests that companies should focus on the types of digital tools used rather than just assuming that digitalisation is either good or bad for workers,” said Ludivine Martin, a researcher at LISER and one of the report’s co-authors.
The study finds that exposure to advanced digital technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, helped reduce work intensification and emotional exhaustion. However, these technologies have not completely eliminated the negative effects of teleworking on overall well-being. Older technologies like databases increased work intensification but did not significantly impact mental health.
The impact of digitalisation varies significantly across gender and age groups. For example, exposure to the past digital wave (including computer hardware, databases and communication tools) was linked to reduced well-being among men and older workers (45+). In contrast, women and younger employees were less affected.
“AI and automation have been effective in mitigating some negative effects of older digital technologies, and we may not have seen their full potential yet,” said co-author Laetitia Hauret, a researcher at LISER. “With digitalisation shaping the future of work, the challenge for employers will be to harness technology in a way that enhances productivity without pushing employees to the brink.”
Laetitia Hauret and Ludivine Martin (2024) Consequences of the Expansion of Work from Home and Digitalisation on Teleworkers’ Work Intensification, Mental Health, and Well-Being (Deliverable D3.5). Leuven: WeLaR project 101061388–HORIZON.
The paper is available here.
