More than 5 years ago, the world discovered a new way of working. The knowledge economy moved en masse to work-from-home, and since then, the debate has oscillated between where employees are most productive – at home, in the office, or in an inbetween hybrid arrangement. The last year has seen more and more companies close their books on WFH (work from home), and move all their employees to full-time, in-office work. Others have closed their office spaces, cancelled leases, and committed to WFH as a permanent feature of their work environments.
So who is right? Which is the right way to work? Where are employees most productive?
It has long been recognized that work is an important feature of one’s self-identity, and in that way, the experience of work as a significant part of life is as individual as each person in a workplace. When it comes to productivity and the environment that enhances it the most, research shows us that the effect of WFH vs. Office vs. Hybrid is almost as individual as each human in the workplace. There are factors that indicate the benefit of one environment over the others, such as company mission, team role and dynamics, and task orientation. The overall messaging of the research we reviewed is that there is no “right” way to work – picking what’s right for your company, what you do, and the type of tasks your employees perform, is the best way to ensure your employees have the best and most productive work arrangements.
The Research
Dr. Amin Yazdani, Director, Canadian Institute of Safety, Wellness, and Performance, has studied the effect of WFH on productivity both pre and during the pandemic, that shows some interesting results that impact our ideas about where employees are most productive. Here is a summary of his findings:
- Increased Productivity in Remote Work
- Pre-pandemic studies cited in Dr. Yazdani’s systematic review (2022) found 79% of remote workers reported higher productivity, attributed to fewer office distractions and flexible schedules.
- During the pandemic, 70% of surveyed Canadians preferred hybrid models, citing sustained or improved productivity levels.
- Challenges Impacting Productivity
- Task Completion Barriers: Mandatory remote work during COVID-19 introduced challenges like loneliness (38% of respondents) and work-life imbalance (40%), which initially hindered productivity for some.
- Ergonomic Issues: Poor home-office setups (reported by 29% early in the pandemic) contributed to musculoskeletal disorders, reducing efficiency for certain roles.
- Longitudinal Trends
- Yazdani’s 2020–2021 surveys showed productivity rebounded over time as workers adapted. By mid-2021, improvements in colleague collaboration (+23%) and mental health correlated with stabilized output.
Another key factor on where employees are more productive is related to three key factors – Job Type, Support Structures, and Individual Adaptability. Dr. Yazdani’s research presented the following information:
Dr. Yazdani’s research highlights three crucial factors influencing productivity: Job Type, Support Structures, and Individual Adaptability (Yazdani, 2022).
1. Job Type
- Routine vs. Knowledge-Based Work: Productivity in routine tasks (e.g., data entry, call centers) often declined or showed no benefit from remote work. For instance, data entry productivity dropped by 18% remotely, while customer service roles saw a 4-12% reduction in calls answered (Yazdani, 2022).
- Tech Sector Complexity: Programmers showed mixed productivity results. Routine coding tasks saw productivity increases of 12%, whereas creative problem-solving tasks decreased by 8% remotely (Yazdani, 2022).
2. Support Structures
- Ergonomics: Companies providing ergonomic training and equipment experienced a 14% reduction in productivity loss related to musculoskeletal disorders (Yazdani, 2022).
- Managerial and IT Support: Structured virtual check-ins and robust IT support maintained productivity, whereas teams lacking these resources reported task completion delays of up to 19% (Yazdani, 2022).
- Policy Flexibility: Companies offering non-mandatory hybrid arrangements saw 23% higher self-reported productivity compared to compulsory remote work (Yazdani, 2022).
3. Individual Adaptability
- Employee Choice: Employees choosing remote work reported 27% higher productivity than those compelled to work remotely. Conversely, employees preferring the office environment saw a 13% productivity decline when forced into remote work (Yazdani, 2022).
- Adaptation Periods: Productivity levels among employees initially dropped by up to 20% but rebounded to near-normal after 6-9 months of adjustment (Yazdani, 2022).
- Personal Circumstances: Caregivers and parents faced productivity gaps 15% greater than their child-free counterparts, highlighting the influence of individual circumstances (Yazdani, 2022).
The debate about whether working from home, the office, or a hybrid environment is most productive lacks a universal answer. Instead, companies should build workplaces tailored specifically to their own unique requirements. Hybrid models generally offer balanced solutions, especially when supported by strong ergonomic, managerial, and technical resources. Ultimately, the best productivity results emerge when workplaces are customized to fit the individual company, its people, and their work.
