Cambridge researchers call for more robust UK data to guide remote and hybrid work policies, boost productivity and safeguard mental health.
The House of Lords Home-based Working Committee has today released its report, Is Working from Home Working? which finds that home working could play a key role in helping more people enter or stay in employment. The report repeatedly references research from an interdisciplinary team at the University of Cambridge, whose research highlights the urgent need for better data on productivity and mental health in the workplace.
The group submitted oral and written evidence on remote and hybrid working’s effects on productivity, wellbeing, and mental-physical health, reviewing different sources of data comparing home-based work before and after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Their research on remote and hybrid working shows that, while robust UK-specific data remain limited, studies suggest hybrid models generally maintain or enhance individual wellbeing, and job satisfaction—particularly improving retention and resilience among certain groups—without short-term performance losses. But challenges around learning, collaboration and organisational productivity remain unclear.
So far, the impact assessment of home-based working has largely relied on large-scale surveys and digital activity data, mostly from the US, to track trends and behaviours rather than direct impacts on productivity or wellbeing. While these studies provide valuable descriptive insights, the evidence base remains fragmented, highlighting the need for more rigorous, causally focused studies across different contexts.
Prof Gordon Harold, a Cambridge expert in the Psychology of Education and Mental Health, led the cross-departmental research team specialising in mental health, productivity, and longitudinal data. He said:
“The Government Working Committee’s report is a good start to recognising the benefits and challenges relating to home working but more research on mental health and productivity in the workspace is urgently needed.
“A more consistent measurement of productivity and stronger empirical evidence is needed to better know the impact of home-based working.
“There is more available data on wellbeing at work but it is important to distinguish between mental health and wellbeing, since the two are not synonymous.”
Various studies show mixed experiences of remote work – some report higher wellbeing but increased loneliness, especially among younger workers, while others find homeworkers feel socially connected and enjoy more time with family and friends.
Remote and hybrid working can improve flexibility, autonomy, and wellbeing but also pose risks such as isolation, overwork, and inequality, with health outcomes depending on job design, support, and communication; showing that employee control and strong communication is key to realising the benefits while reducing the downsides.
Research also shows remote working can allow more time for healthy meal preparation and reduce the carbon footprint, but may also increase sedentary behaviour, decrease physical activity and increase musculoskeletal problems.
Cambridge researchers call for more UK sector-specific data on remote and hybrid working to better understand its effects on mental health and productivity in the workspace. The evidence points to the need for further academic research into the long-term effects of remote and hybrid working. They highlight the importance of establishing rigorous, objective metrics for assessing organisational productivity, given that much of the current evidence base rests on self-reported perceptions of performance.
These actions will better inform policies to maximise the benefits of home-based work while mitigating its risks.
Watch the oral evidence given by Professor Gordon Harold, Professor of the Psychology of Education and Mental Health, University of Cambridge, to the House of Lords Home-based Working Committee on Monday 17 March 2025.
Read the written evidence submitted by Dr Nina Jorden, Dr Iris Ji, Dr Pan Zhao, Prof Dame Diane Coyle, Prof Gordon Harold and Prof Qingyuan Zhao, University of Cambridge, to the House of Lords Home-based Working Committee on 24 April 2025.
Read the report, Is Working from Home Working? by the House of Lords Select Committee on Home-Based Working, published on 13 November 2025. Report of Session 2024–26. HL Paper 196.
The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the Bennett Institute for Public Policy.
