Some reasons that working from home can be dissatisfying
Working from home isn’t the key to happiness
Remote employees are reporting higher levels of dissatisfaction
By Dave Lozo
May 13, 2025
A recent poll shows remote employees are engaged but deeply unhappy.
Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report revealed that people who can work from their couch (31%) have higher levels of engagement, defined as enthusiasm for their work and connection to the organization, than their hybrid (23%) and fully in-office (19%) counterparts. But on the flip side, they are also more likely (45%) to report stress due to negative emotions like anger, sadness, and loneliness than on-site workers (38%) for several reasons, including:
- No camaraderie. The tradeoff for sharing a desk with your cat is a lack of work friendships and team lunches, which can lead to a sense of isolation.
- No boundaries. Autonomy is great, but a blurry line between work and personal life during the day can create stress.
- Tech issues. Independent remote work is one thing, but collaborating remotely with a team requires digital technology that isn’t always dependable.
WFH is still a big draw: LinkedIn recently surveyed 4,000 US workers and found that 40% of Gen Z and millennials and 32% of respondents of all ages would take a pay cut in exchange for flexibility regarding where they work.