Working from home has become common practice in Australia with recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics finding 36% of employees to be regularly working from home. Parents, in particular, are realising the benefits it brings to balancing work and care.
However, debate continues about the optimal number of days for working from home and working onsite.
New research led by Jasmine Love, Research Officer with La Trobe University’s Judith Lumley Centre, has explored the impact of a work from home mismatch, where remote work arrangements don’t align with personal preferences, in both parents and non-parents.
“We found that too much or too little work from home impacts employees’ work-family conflict and stress,” she says. “For example, parents whose current work from home arrangement did not match their preferences faced an increased risk of work-to-family conflicts, particularly if they were working from home less than preferred.”
“This supports the idea that the flexibility and autonomy that working from home provides allows parents to strike a better balance between their work and family commitments in a way that works for them.”
On the other hand, both parents and non-parents faced increased stress if they were working from home more than preferred.
“This suggests that the task switching and distractions when working from home may make it hard to concentrate, leading to cognitive stress. The social isolation may also lead to stress and burnout.”
Jasmine says the research supports the view that there is no universal, one-size-fits-all approach to working from home that will suit all employees.
“Employers should work with their employees to establish a tailored work from home arrangement that supports them to best manage their work and home goals. These conversations should be ongoing to adjust arrangements as family and life needs shift.”
