Amidst the coronavirus-induced lockdowns, approximately 50% of European laborers were believed to partake in a variant of astute toiling—an incarnation marred by its impromptu nature and, in numerous instances, encompassing an all-encompassing commitment of time, thus posing a profound risk of social seclusion.

Nevertheless, this period of tribulation yielded an intriguing revelation: astute toiling, whether applied to mundane or unconventional responsibilities, proved to be within the realm of possibility.

As a result, the contemporary landscape in the Western sphere is now replete with arrangements that grant employees the liberty to operate from their abodes for one or more days per week. Alas, the dearth of an empirically rigorous evaluation of its efficacy remains a significant void that warrants filling.

Smarter working

A recent study from Bocconi University suggests that the flexibility afforded by smart working not only improves the work-life balance and wellbeing of workers, but does so without reducing their overall productivity.

“An interesting side-effect is that men, when they can work from home, increase the time devoted to household chores. The gender balance does not shift much, since women still work longer hours at those chores, but women report balancing their work and personal lives better,” the researchers explain.

The researchers divided participants into two groups, 65% of whom were allowed to “smart-work” one day a week, while the remaining 35% worked as usual. They monitored the productivity, work-life balance, and wellbeing of the two groups over a nine-month period.

Long-term impact

While the initial months saw a slight difference for those in the smart-working condition, this really grew from month 7 onward. The study uncovered significant advantages for smart-workers compared to those without flexibility.

Smart-workers utilized one fewer day of leave per month, suggesting that one of their designated smart-working days likely replaced a day off that would have been taken for personal reasons such as childcare or medical appointments.

Compliance with deadlines was markedly higher, with smart-workers achieving a remarkable 40% increase in meeting crucial timelines. Moreover, smart-workers exhibited notable improvements in their overall life satisfaction, with a 33% higher satisfaction level, as well as a substantial 40% increase in satisfaction with their free time.

They demonstrated enhanced focus, experienced less sleep disruption caused by concerns, and reported reduced stress levels. Importantly, smart-workers attributed these benefits to the freedom to set their own start and finish times, as well as arrange breaks during the workday. This autonomy translated into more time dedicated to household and caregiving activities, benefiting both men and women.

“Removing constraints on the place and time of work appears to be a promising and more efficient organization of working,” the authors concluded, “without detectable negative effects on gender gaps. Smart-working also appears to be a promising way to promote work-life balance, which is becoming a significant issue in modern societies. This result was not obvious to foresee, since previous analyses have warned about the risk of overworking related to flexible work arrangements, with all the possible negative consequences involving stress, well-being, health, etc.”