There’s a hidden cost to working remotely. It’s one employees won’t want to ignore

As more companies require employees to return to the office five days a week, new research shows working from home may not be so great for your mental health. A new study from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, published in the journal Science, finds that remote work does indeed improve productivity as many claim, but at the same time, leaves workers more isolated and lonely. In short, working from home may boost how much you get done, but it won’t necessarily make you happier. The findings come despite the fact workers say they enjoy remote work and the flexibility that comes from working at home—such as the ability to toss a load of laundry in the wash—and are willing to take a pay cut just to avoid a lengthy commute. “Other studies have found that workers are willing to give up 4 to 10 of their earnings in order to have the ability to work remotely,” study author and economist Natalia Emanuel says. (A 2024 study found 55 of workers believe hybrid work is best for their mental health, while 24 say fully remote work would be.) Remote work, which skyrocketed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and has quadrupled in the six years since, has resulted in workers in “remote-capable jobs” (for example, software engineering and marketing) spending more time working alone, compared to people in “nonremotable jobs” (such as nursing and mechanical engineering). Those working from home also did fewer social activities with friends, meaning they were more isolated both during and after work. In fact, remote workers spent an extra hour alone each workday, according to the study. That was particularly true for those living alone, whose likelihood of spending the whole day without any social contact rose by 7. They also reported their own mental health more negatively, with an “increase in distress that was roughly twice as large . . . compared with those living with family.” At the same time, remote workers reported higher levels of depression, and utilized mental health care more often, including getting prescriptions for antidepressants. (Researchers concluded this was not merely driven by their increased flexibility for doctor visits.) So while many workers want to work remotely, the study findings suggest they may not realize the costs to their well-being, which may take time to accumulate. The research drew on five different nationally representative studies of American workers, conducted from 2011 to 2024, omitting the peak pandemic years of 2020 to 2021.