Remote work is quietly taking a toll on some people’s mental health, according to a University of Virginia economist.
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Emma Harrington, assistant professor of economics and author of the upcoming book “In Person,” studied how the rise of remote work has affected people’s mental well-being.
People in jobs that can be done remotely, such as software engineer or economist, saw much larger increases in mental distress than people in jobs that require in-person contact, such as nursing or mechanical engineering. The difference, she said, tracks closely with rising isolation.
“This rise of remote work has had some mental health costs for people who are most exposed to that increase in the ability to work from home,” Harrington said.
The impact is greatest for people who live alone.
“If you think about someone who’s living alone and in one of these jobs that can be done remotely,” Harrington said, “about one in four of their days on average they’ll have no contact with another person. No meaningful contact beyond maybe a hello or nod.”
Harrington also said there are real benefits to remote work, including commute savings and extra time with family. Those perks are easy to see when choosing a job, Harrington said, while the slow erosion of workplace connections is harder to anticipate.
A well-structured hybrid schedule, she said, may offer the best of both worlds.
“You can get meaningful in-person time with colleagues, but then also have more time to spend with your family,” Harrington said.
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