Mental health is better with hybrid work than with 100% telework or face-to-face work
What if hybrid working were the ideal way to combine the benefits of face-to-face and remote working? That's what some figures might lead us to believe. For example, those of study conducted by Citrix.
70% of hybrid employees claim to have good mental health. This is more than in face-to-face work (60%), and more than in full telecommuting (61%).
The study also shows a positive effect on other variables often linked to psychological health: feeling productive, invested, confidence in one's abilities, emotional bond with colleagues and the organization, etc.
However, as always when it comes to human dynamics, there is no magic solution. The notion of "hybrid work" may cover different realities, and give rise to different effects.
It's impossible to do without thinking about work organization
To predict the impact of hybrid organizations on mental health, we need to ask what happens to the psychosocial risk factors (PSRs) we already know about.
Visit Gollac Reportpresented and validated by the French Ministry of Labor in 2011, provides a reference framework. Resulting from work carried out by a college of international experts, it is recommended by INRS for work on the prevention of RPS. This model highlights 6 families of risk factors:
6 families of psychosocial risk factors
- Intensity and working time
- Lack of autonomy
- Poor social relations
- Emotional demands
- Job insecurity
- Conflicting values
1. Hybrid work intensity and time
With regard to crisis teleworking, over 60% of respondents mentioned the feeling of "working more" and/or overconnection (source: Study on crisis teleworking - Anact - 2021)
Positive effects
Hybrid working can improve work-life balance. Reduced commuting time, flexible time management and prioritization of family time are among the most cited benefits of this work organization mode.
Negative effects
But it's a different story if it's difficult to switch off, or if the time saved is reinvested in extra work. The conditions for balance are not always present.
More than a quarter of employees consider that teleworking leads to wasted time, difficulties in regulating workloads, or too many conferences or meetings.
2. Autonomy in hybrid work
While a majority of managers (48%) have adapted to the new working methods by granting greater autonomy, 25% say they have, on the contrary, tightened control over activity and introduced more reporting (source: Executive telecommuting: companies and managers in search of a new balance - Apec & l'Anact - 2022)
Positive effects
Autonomy is seen by more than half of employees as one of the main benefits of hybrid working. Hybrid workers who can organize themselves and manage their time as they wish feel more confident in their management.
So much for her autonomy and, consequently, her mental health.
Negative effects
However, for a quarter of managers, the hybrid mode has led to an increase in control mechanisms. For the employees concerned, the trend is towards a loss of autonomy, and therefore a risk to their mental health.
3. Degraded social relations in hybrid work
Positive effects
As the hybrid mode allows for less interaction with certain interlocutors, the impact of these degraded relationships is more limited.
When employees alert us to situations of potential harassment, the first measures taken often involve moving away from the workplace or teleworking.
Negative effects
In the wake of the telecommuting crisis, Anact notes that working relationships have deteriorated. The feeling of a loss of social ties and informal conversations has been identified as the main drawback of hybrid working.
While there are fewer positive interactions, conflictual relationships are also at a high level. Almost 15% of people even consider that they have been exposed to harassment at work. Distance may play a role in the increase in conflict.
Exchanges, often written (without non-verbal or paraverbal elements), can be misinterpreted. There are also fewer informal exchanges that could help dissipate certain tensions.
4. Emotional demands in hybrid work
Positive effects
In remote mode, no one observes us during individual work sessions. In theory, this means fewer moments when we have to "put on a brave face" or hide our emotions, which is good for our mental health.
Negative effects
Some studies, however, point out that the pressure of expectations and appearances is still present in hybrids, with stress linked to surveillance. This affects almost half of all employees, with a particular need to stay connected.
What's more, almost 1 in 2 employees feel that hybridization has made it more difficult to form relationships. Opportunities to express one's emotions or gather social support are therefore rarer with this mode of operation, even though they are essential for psychological health.
5. Job insecurity in hybrid work
46% of employees worry that their colleagues who come into the office more often will have more opportunities for advancement or better job prospects (source: Hybrid Work Study - Cisco Canada in partnership with Angus Reid)
Positive effects
At iQo, we believe that in a hybrid environment, employees regain autonomy and room to maneuver, which will be valuable for their employability.
Negative effects
Even if job insecurity depends above all on the company's economic context, it is not experienced in the same way depending on how the work is organized.
Feeling that you have to prove your usefulness is more anxiety-provoking if the work carried out is less visible to the hierarchy. And yet, when working remotely, managers feel they have less visibility of their team members' work. Nearly half of employees also fear that the frequency with which they come into the office will affect their career development.
6. Value conflicts in hybrid work
Positive effects
Hybrid working foster certain values style. 67% of employees would like to see a shift towards a management style based more on trust, encouragement, initiative and the right to make mistakes. The development of this way of working will undoubtedly provide them with better alignment.
Negative effects
If hybrid work is not a value, human relationships at work can be considered as such. Among the disadvantages of hybrid work, many employees underline impacts on these dimensions, which can create ethical conflicts.
More than half of employees mention the loss of team cohesion, and a quarter even mention the feeling of superficial, transactional relationships.
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