Remote Workers Are More Isolated, Can Go Days Without Human Contact: Study

Last Updated:June 13, 2026, 09:01 IST

The study found that workers in remote jobs had experienced a 58% rise in hours spent alone.

The debate between working from home and going into an office has been heated. Post-pandemic, it has become increasingly clear that many employees prefer remote work, whether from home or in countries that encourage digital nomads. In fact, it has also prompted a select few companies to start trying out 4-day work weeks instead of 5, which was revolutionary.

However, this opinion has not been shared by many employers who have made it mandatory for people to return to the office. They believe that by doing this, it can improve productivity, foster stronger team collaboration, speed up career development and provide clear boundaries between professional and personal life.

Now, a new study, which was published June 4 in the journal Science, states that there are hidden negative effects on a person’s well-being if they consistently work from home. The study states that this can increase isolation and worsen mental health, highlighting the hidden costs of doing a job from home.

Researchers analysed data from more than half a million American workers surveyed between 2011 and 2024, excluding the peak Covid-19 pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, reported the Smithsonian. They looked at data form five large national surveys on American workers, both in jobs that allow remote work, like software engineering and marketing — so-called “remotable jobs" — and those in jobs that can’t be done remotely (“non-remotable jobs" like surgery, or mechanical engineering).

“Our results are not saying that there are no benefits of remote work," study co-author Emma Harrington, an economist at the University of Virginia, told Scientific American’s Jackie Flynn Mogensen. Ask anyone who has worked from home, and they will explain how it helped them save time and money on commuting and eating out, they are healthier as they have time for personal fitness goals and also happier to spend more time with family. WFH also helps to make workplaces more accessible to individuals with disabilities.

“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," says Natalia Emanuel, an economist at Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the main author of the new study published in the journal Science. “So there is a great desire for remote work."

However, an NPR report states that researchers found that people in remote jobs have seen a rise in hours spent alone during the workday and more visits to mental health care providers. In self-reports, they also assess their own mental health negatively.

The study found that workers in remote jobs had experienced a 58% rise in hours spent alone and these workers also saw a 72% rise in chances of spending their whole day with no human contact. “Not even like a wave to a barista, not somebody also checking for ripeness of the avocados at the grocery store," says Emanuel. “Just no human contact at all."

Remote workers aren’t making up for that lost social connection by socialising after work, she adds. “We even see a decrease in spending time with friends after the workday relative to people in non-remotable occupations.

About the Author

Abigail BanerjiSenior Sub Editor

Abigail Banerji is a Senior Sub Editor with News18's English desk. She brings 6 years of experience across both print and digital newsrooms, spanning editorial planning, reportage, copy editing, conte...Read More

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