Does working from home boost productivity?

An article published in science journal PLOS ONE has reviewed 24 academic articles on the impacts of remote working that were published before the pandemic, along with 13 that were published during it. Seventy-nine per cent of the studies published before the pandemic had concluded that working from home boosted productivity and performance, but only 23 per cent of the articles published during the pandemic made the same conclusion. The researchers undertaking the review suggest that working from home is more likely to boost productivity if it is voluntary.

From The AFR:

The researchers, a team mostly from Canadian universities but also including Jodi Oakman from La Trobe University in Melbourne, said the findings suggested working from home is more likely to lift productivity when it is voluntary.