Remote Revolution: The Impact of Working from Home on Employee Well-Being and Productivity in Germany

During the COVID-19 pandemic, 27% of employees in Germany worked from home, leading to significant changes in work practices that impacted both productivity and personal well-being. Early studies on the implications of working from home during COVID-19 predominantly reported positive developments. However, more recent research has increasingly highlighted negative consequences. To contribute to this ongoing academic discussion, we conducted a qualitative study based on semi-structured expert interviews, focusing on employee well-being and productivity. We conducted interviews with representatives from a broad range of companies in the white-collar sector in Germany. Germany is particularly suited for this investigation because it has a relatively high proportion of employees working from home. Our main results include two frameworks illustrating main influencing factors for employee well-being and employee productivity. Moreover, we propose a set of recommendations for working from home regulations. These findings contribute to the academic discourse by enhancing the understanding of factors affecting employee well-being and productivity. Corresponding practical implications include the application of our frameworks and recommendations by organizations to optimize employee health and productivity in working from home settings.