Study finds that remote work doesn’t lower productivity

As more and more companies consider offering remote work options while moving many workers back into the office, a new study from Texas A&M University found that remote work does not lower productivity.

Notably, the study was conducted before the pandemic, and looked at productivity in a work-from-home setting without the added stressors of a pandemic.

The group that was studied consisted of 264 workers from a large oil and gas company based in Houston. Employees were forced out of the office for seven months due to damage done by Hurricane Harvey, a Category 4 hurricane which hit Texas in August 2017.

The study used worker technology data from a nearly two-year period that spanned before, during, and after the hurricane. Researchers found that productivity levels recorded at the office were the same as those recorded at home, except for the period during which the hurricane hit.

“The ability to work remotely may improve resiliency of employees to perform workplace tasks during events causing workplace displacement,” the researchers wrote.

The authors of the study, which was published in February, said they believe the study could help us understand the impact of remote work on productivity during the pandemic.

They also said that the study indicates companies should have plans for remote work in place in case another natural disaster or pandemic hits.

As remote work becomes more important and popular, studies on remote work are also increasing. The Boston Globe reported that a study out of Harvard Business School suggested that one or two days of in-person work per week may yield the most productivity.