Since the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a rise in home workers in the UK. Between January and February 2023, 40% of the UK working population reported working from home at least once in the last seven days. While working remotely provides some benefits (e.g., better work-life balance, reduced commute time), it can result in unhealthy lifestyle behaviours. Unhealthy lifestyle behaviours associated with remote working include reduced physical activity, prolonged sitting, and increased snacking frequency.
Research conducted with UK remote workers has revealed that workers are less active and sit more when working from home compared to working in an office, with 60% of participants reporting sitting for longer since transitioning to home-based work. These behaviours are linked to an increased risk of weight gain, long-term health conditions (e.g., diabetes, cancer), muscle pains (e.g., back pain, neck pain), and disturbances in mental health and wellbeing.
Many organisations have implemented a permanent remote working policy for their office-based workers. Working in partnership with a large organisation the research group will develop an intervention aimed at increasing movement and reducing sitting time within this workforce.
The project will consist of four stages:
Stage 1 |
| The health-related lifestyle behaviours (e.g., physical activity, sitting time, dietary intake) of remote office workers will be monitored through tracking devices and questionnaires. These findings will help identify whether there are specific times of the day or behaviour patterns that require particular support. |
Stage 2 |
| Interviews with remote office workers will explore their experiences with remote working, its impact on physical and mental health, health-related lifestyle behaviours, challenges faced while working remotely, and strategies to overcome these challenges. |
Stage 3 |
| Co-creation workshops will be conducted with employees, managers, and HR staff, during which scenarios based on the findings from stages 1 and 2 will be presented, and potential solutions will be discussed. |
Stage 4 |
| An investigation will assess whether it is feasible to implement and evaluate the intervention developed in stage 3. Feasibility will be determined by factors such as participant recruitment and engagement with the intervention, as well as the completion of the proposed evaluation measures. |
The potential of the intervention to promote movement and reduce sitting in this workforce will be assessed. If successful, a future study will be conducted to examine the effectiveness of the intervention within a larger group of employees working from home, including individuals from different organizations.
For further details on the research, please contact the lead researcher: Dr Elizabeth Stamp (e.stamp@lboro.ac.uk)
Updated May 2025