2 months ago
- The article argues that remote work is a tech success story, not a cause of misery, despite a study claiming it explains a third of mental health decline.
- The study's methodology is flawed: it compares 'remotable' and 'nonremotable' jobs rather than actual remote vs. in-office workers, and the observed mental health effects are very small (less than 0.1 standard deviations).
- The study may conflate pandemic-era effects with remote work, as mental health declines began in 2020 and could stem from isolation during COVID-19, not remote work itself.
- Significant mental health differences were only found among remote workers living alone; those cohabiting showed no effect, suggesting isolation can be mitigated.
- The author's personal experience highlights benefits of remote work: avoiding commutes, living near family, spending more time with children, and improved work-life balance.
- Ending remote work policies would harm parents, especially women, and ignores that 80% of workers prefer remote options—individual choice should matter more than convoluted studies.