Hybrid workers are both healthier and more productive than office workers or those solely working from home, according to new research from Vitality.
This findings, part of its regular ‘Britain’s Healthiest Workplace’ study, found hybrid workers have fewer days off due to ill health and have lower rates of obesity and depression. They are also more likely to engage with workplace wellbeing initiatives, helping keeping them mystically and mental well.
These findings come as poor health among employees remains a ongoing issue for the UK. This has resulted in lower economic productivity, with nearly 50 days of productive time lost per employee each year — of which 6.1 days are attributed to formal absence.
Hybrid working correlates with greater productivity with only 47.8 days of productive time lost due to health concerns, including just 4.9 days of formal absence.
The difference is more stark when comparing directly with alternative working arrangements. Full-time home workers lost an extra three productive days (50.8 days in total) than their hybrid counterparts. Of those days, a surprising 9.6 days were lost due to formal absence. Similarly, office workers lost 1.2 more productive days on average.
This data shows that hybrid workers tend to enjoy better physical and mental health, compared to both office-based and remote workers. Only 20 per cent of hybrid workers are obese, in contrast to the 25.2 per cent obesity rate among full-time home workers. Meanwhile, 87.4 per cent of those working from home suffered from at least one musculoskeletal condition, vs only 79.9 per cent for hybrid workers and 78.3 per cent for office workers.
Diet also appears better for hybrid and office workers, with around 46 per cent in both groups managing to consume the recommended five portions fruit and veg a day, compared to only 37.5 per cent for home workers.
The importance of flexibility is also very clear when looking at mental health data. The data reveals that hybrid workers are less likely to be at risk of suffering from depression, with just 8.1 per cent affected, compared to 10.4 per cent among office workers and 12.1 per cent among those working from home.
Hybrid workers are also most likely to engage with benefits offered by employers. On average, their participation in healthcare interventions was 31 per cent compared to 28 per cent for those in the office full-time and only 23 per cent for home workers.
Equally, they show the highest engagement with physical activity initiatives such as employer-wide step or activity challenges, which helped to cut productivity loss by 22 per cent, as well as engaging in programmes which better equip them to look after their own health.
Vitality CEO Neville Koopowitz says: “Our research highlights the clear evidence that where and how we work can have a significant role in our wellbeing, and ultimately our productivity.
“The data dispels the misconceptions around home working, demonstrating that a hybrid option can be a considerably more effective model with regard to health and productivity.
“Employees who work from home full time are more likely to suffer from worse physical and mental health, while forcing employees into the office full time does not necessarily deliver the best results either.
“There is clear value in flexibility, but employers need to strike the balance, and there are tangible benefits to spending some time each week in the office.”