Hybrid workers tend to take fewer sick days than their homeworking and office-based peers, according to research conducted by Vitality.
Vitality’s Britain’s Healthiest Workplace study which surveyed more than 4,700 individuals, found overall almost 50 days of productive time were lost per employee each year of which 6.1 days are attributed to formal absence.
That compared to hybrid working with only 47.8 days of productive time lost due to health concerns, including just 4.9 days due to formal absence.
But the research also uncovered a stark difference when comparing directly with the alternatives.
Full-time home workers lost an extra three productive days (50.8 days in total) than their hybrid counterparts. Of those days, 9.6 days were lost due to formal absence.
Similarly, office workers lost 1.2 more productive days on average.
Physical and mental health
The data also showed that hybrid workers demonstrate lower rates of obesity and mental wellbeing compared to office-based and remote workers.
Just 20% of hybrid workers are obese, in contrast to the 25.2% obesity rate among full-time home workers. 87.4% of those working from home suffered from at least one musculoskeletal condition, vs only 79.9% for hybrid workers and 78.3% for office workers.
Diet also appeared better for hybrid and office workers, with c.46% of both groups managing five fruit and veg a day, compared with only 37.5% for home workers.
However, the importance of flexibility was also evident when looking at mental health data.
The data reveals that hybrid workers were less likely to be at risk of suffering from depression, with just 8.1% affected, compared to 10.4% among office workers and 12.1% among those working from home.
Workplace wellbeing programmes
Hybrid workers were also most likely to engage with benefits offered by employers, capitalising on their time in the office to engage with wellbeing initiatives and the benefits of flexibility that come from homeworking.
On average, their participation in healthcare interventions was 31%, compared to 23% for home workers and only 28% for those in the office full-time.
And despite spending less time in the office, hybrid workers were just as likely as full-time office workers to participate in nutritional initiatives such as free healthy breakfasts.
Interventions like these were found to reduce the loss in productivity by 14% on average.
They also showed the highest engagement with physical activity initiatives such as employer-wide step or activity challenges, which helped to cut productivity loss by 22%, as well as engaging in programmes which better equip them to look after their own health.
More so than their counterparts, the research showed that hybrid workers were likely to actively seek information on the benefits of physical activity and healthy eating from their employer, showing a greater consideration for their wellbeing outside of work.
Employees who engaged with these sorts of initiatives lost 15-20% less productive time on average compared to those who did not.
Striking a balance
Neville Koopowitz, CEO of Vitality, said: “Our research highlights the clear evidence that where and how we work can have a significant role in our wellbeing, and ultimately our productivity.
“The data dispels the misconceptions around home working, demonstrating that a hybrid option can be a considerably more effective model with regard to health and productivity.
“Employees who work from home full time are more likely to suffer from worse physical and mental health, while forcing employees into the office full time does not necessarily deliver the best results either.
“There is clear value in flexibility, but employers need to strike the balance and there are tangible benefits to spending some time each week in the office.
“Giving employees a reason to make that journey into work, and be healthier when they are there, is critical to a healthy and productive workforce.”