Getting bothered by co-workers is another reason for more WFH

Getting constantly bothered by co-workers with requests for unnecessary tasks causes stress and kills productivity.

That’s got to be one of the best arguments for allowing people to work more days from home.

Why work from the office, when you could work from a deck chair in the sunshine?Credit: iStock

White-collar workers report being interrupted up to 85 times a day.

While there are distractions at home, such as putting on a load of washing or your neighbour’s relentless renovation, I’d argue there are more temptations to distract yourself – and others – in the office, especially if it is an open-plan layout.

Of course, turning up to work has benefits, especially in creative industries where collaboration and brainstorming are key. And solitary work can feel pretty isolating after a while.

But research from the University of Queensland proving the disruptive effects of needless interruptions in the workplace makes the quiet solitude that comes with WFH at least one or two days a week look even more appealing.

Researchers, led by Associate Professor Dr Stacey Parker from UQ’s School of Psychology, asked 231 people to play the role of an HR manager at a department store in a role-playing exercise where they had to respond to eight emails in 20 minutes.

During the simulation, they were interrupted with an “urgent task” from the CEO, which was either inside or outside the scope of their role.

“We found that the type of interruption plays an important role in how people react,” Parker says.

“If a person is interrupted with a request to complete a task they perceive as illegitimate, which is pointless or outside their responsibilities, we found performance is compromised.

“People believe these interruptions hinder progress on their usual work, which can lead to increased anxiety and cognitive difficulties.”

It’s not so bad if your co-worker comes over to ask for your advice on your area of expertise, which might be seen as a legitimate and “identity-affirming task”.

But if you’re asked to organise waiting room magazines alphabetically each morning, change the printer ink for a printer you never use, or come up with marketing ideas when you work in the HR department, that could be a source of frustration, leading to anxiety, tiredness and less focus on your actual work.

Bosses might like to take heed that asking employees to work on tasks that “violate the boundaries of their job role” can impact on the quality of their work.

Parker’s research was not about working from home.

But I reckon pointless or unrelated-to-your-actual-job requests are less frequent when you’re not physically present in the office.

Working from home became the norm during COVID-19 lockdowns, but the private sector has been battling to bring staff back to city office towers ever since, with return-to-workplace edicts and incentives.

Last August, 37 per cent of employees worked from home regularly, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, with the trend more common among managers and professionals.

About half of all Queensland government public servants clock up hours from home.

Since the end of mandated work-from-home orders, Queensland suffered its worst flu year in decades in 2023, with a veritable sickness soup rising before this winter.

Flexibility to work from home relieves pressure on congested roads and the pain of a lengthy commute, makes it easier for people with childcare responsibilities to juggle pick-up and drop-off – with a boost in job satisfaction particularly for women with children – and studies have shown no evidence of a substantial positive or negative impact of hybrid working on productivity.

There are good reasons 88 per cent of Australian workers would like to work from home, at least some days.