Stress and remote working in higher education: a comparison of remote, hybrid, and on-campus academic staff

The higher education sector has undergone substantial transformation since the COVID-19 pandemic, including enduring shifts toward remote working for academic staff. Despite these changes, the effects of work arrangements on work-related stressors remain inadequately understood. This study examined the stressors experienced by academics and assessed whether these varied across work arrangements. Using a cross-sectional design and a self-developed workplace stressor questionnaire, significant mean differences were identified through ANOVAs. Overall, remote work arrangements were associated with greater stress than hybrid or on-campus alternatives. Of the 21 stressor dimensions assessed, four differed significantly across work arrangements, with academics working remotely reporting higher levels. The findings suggest that remote academics experience greater workload-related stressors than their on-campus counterparts. This underscores the complex relationship between work arrangements and occupational stress. Although remote working is often portrayed as beneficial, within academia it appears associated with heightened perceived stress, highlighting the need for organisational interventions.