Shaping Workspaces, Shaping Lives: Health Implications of Working From Home for Employees With Tertiary Education in Switzerland

Objectives This study aimed to explore the effect of transitioning to working from home (WFH) on health for employees with a tertiary degree. Methods Data were drawn from the COVID-19 Social Monitor, a large, high-frequency longitudinal online panel of the Swiss 18–79-year-old resident population ( N = 3,381). We estimated individual-fixed-effects models to examine the effect of transitioning to WFH on 13 binary health outcomes related to general health, mental health, physical health, health behaviour and social trust. Results Even post-COVID-19 WFH measures, the proportion of tertiary-educated employees working from home remained high relative to pre-pandemic levels. Individual fixed-effects estimates suggest no evidence of an effect of transitioning to WFH on any of the health outcomes. Conclusion The upward trend in WFH underscores the importance of health-impact research in this context. The absence of adverse health effects is significant for employers and policymakers aiming to provide flexible work arrangements. Our study provides a benchmark for future research by encompassing a comprehensive range of health outcomes and utilizing a longitudinal panel structure that captures the transition from mandatory to optional WFH arrangements.