The human contact cost of ditching the commute

Nobody misses the commute. Nobody misses picking up the suit at the dry cleaner. Everyone appreciates being able to make the doctor’s appointment at 11 a.m. on a Tuesday. But maybe, just maybe, working from home doesn’t really make workers happier.

Fully remote workers are less likely than the average worker to report themselves to be “thriving,” according to a new Gallup poll. They are more likely than on-site workers to describe themselves as stressed, angry, lonely, or sad. It’s on the sadness and loneliness where the gap is biggest: Fully remote workers are about 35% more likely to experience sadness and loneliness than are in-office workers. Hybrid workers generally land in the middle.