Working from home has become a permanent feature of Australian work culture, but its impact on mental health has remained a topic of debate. How much does it help? How many days per week are ideal? And who benefits the most?

A new study by the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, University of Melbourne, provides some answers, analysing 20 years of data from more than 16,000 Australian workers. The research shows that working from home significantly improves women’s mental wellbeing, while men experience fewer mental health benefits.

How the Study Was Conducted

Researchers, led by Senior Research Fellow Ferdi Botha, used data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, excluding the two pandemic years of 2020–21 to avoid skewed results. The analysis tracked changes in mental health alongside commuting patterns and home-working arrangements, while controlling for major life events such as job changes or the arrival of children.

The study focused on commuting time and working-from-home patterns, examining whether the effects differed between individuals with strong versus weaker mental health—a unique feature of the research.

Commuting Impacts Men and Women Differently

For women, commuting had no measurable impact on mental health. For men, however, longer commutes were linked to poorer mental wellbeing, particularly for those already struggling. The effect was modest: an extra 30 minutes each way for a man near the median mental health level was roughly equivalent to a 2% drop in household income.

Hybrid Work Benefits Women Most

The research revealed that women benefit most from a hybrid work model, combining several days at home with one to two days in the office or on-site. For women with pre-existing mental health challenges, this arrangement improved wellbeing more than full-time office work, with effects comparable to a 15% increase in household income.

The mental health gains were not simply due to reduced commuting time; the study accounted for commuting separately. Instead, benefits stemmed from lower work stress, greater control over daily schedules, and an improved ability to balance work and family life. Light or occasional home working showed no significant effect, while evidence for full-time home working was limited due to the small number of women in this category.

For men, working from home had no statistically significant impact on mental health, regardless of how many days they worked remotely. Researchers suggest this may be influenced by gendered household responsibilities and the fact that men’s social networks tend to be more work-oriented.

Key Takeaways

Workers with poorer mental health are most affected by long commutes and are most likely to benefit from working from home. For women in this group, substantial home working can offer a major boost to wellbeing. For men, reducing commute times helps, though to a lesser degree. Workers with strong mental health are less sensitive to commuting and home-working patterns, though they may still value flexibility.

The study highlights the importance of hybrid working arrangements, particularly for supporting women and employees struggling with mental health, as Australian workplaces continue to evolve.