Working from home isn’t the key to happiness

Just like Rose when she set off on her Titanic voyage, a recent poll shows remote employees are engaged but deeply unhappy.

Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report revealed that people who can work from their couch (31%) have higher levels of engagement, defined as enthusiasm for their work and connection to the organization, than their hybrid (23%) and fully in-office (19%) counterparts. But on the flip side, they are also more likely (45%) to report stress due to negative emotions like anger, sadness, and loneliness than on-site workers (38%) for several reasons, including:

• No camaraderie. The tradeoff for sharing a desk with your cat is a lack of work friendships and team lunches, which can lead to a sense of isolation.
• No boundaries. Autonomy is great, but a blurry line between work and personal life during the day can create stress.
• Tech issues. Independent remote work is one thing, but collaborating remotely with a team requires digital technology that isn’t always dependable.

WFH is still a big draw: LinkedIn recently surveyed 4,000 US workers and found that 40% of Gen Z and millennials and 32% of respondents of all ages would take a pay cut in exchange for flexibility regarding where they work.