In a recent survey, it was found that Dutch employees who work remotely reported increased productivity and reduced feelings of burnout when they were content with their home office arrangements. Additionally, the study found a connection between better air circulation in home offices and higher self-reported productivity.
A recent survey indicated that Dutch employees working from home reported greater productivity and less burnout when they were satisfied with their home office conditions. The research also found that improved air ventilation in home offices was associated with higher self-reported productivity. These results were detailed by Martijn Stroom and his colleagues from Maastricht University in the Netherlands in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on August 7, 2024.
In the past few years, the COVID-19 pandemic and advancements in technology have made remote work the standard for many who previously worked in traditional office settings. Researchers are actively investigating factors that may affect job satisfaction and productivity for remote employees, including the suitability of certain jobs for working from home.
Nevertheless, there has been limited research examining how productivity, job satisfaction, and the physical setup of home offices might be interconnected. To fill this gap, Stroom and his team surveyed 1,002 individuals working from home in the Netherlands regarding various aspects of their home office, as well as their productivity, job satisfaction, and related factors. They utilized statistical methods known as logistic regression and structural equation modeling to ascertain connections between the different elements.
The results revealed that those who were more satisfied with their home office conditions—which included environmental factors like temperature and noise, as well as furniture such as office chairs and screens—reported higher productivity levels and were less likely to experience burnout.
The researchers also discovered that better air ventilation during work hours in home offices was positively correlated with productivity, a strong desire to continue working from home in the future, and decreased chances of burnout. This aligns with previous studies that have linked air quality to productivity in the workplace. Furthermore, they noted a significant difference between the amount of ventilation and the self-reported satisfaction regarding indoor air quality, highlighting the limitations of relying primarily on these self-reported figures, which have been the foundation for much of the existing research and policy.
Based on their findings, the researchers recommend investments in home office equipment and environmental factors, supported by objective assessments of indoor conditions, to enhance the effectiveness of work-from-home policies in the future. They also suggest that further research could help clarify any causal relationships among the factors studied.
The authors state: “The physical environment of the home office significantly impacts productivity when working from home. Different home office setups are likely to influence employees’ willingness to work remotely and the success of work-from-home arrangements!”
