A new survey of Irish remote workers carried out by Digital Business Ireland (DBI) reveals that 36% of respondents said their mental health or mood had worsened since the switch to remote working took place.
Workers are also dealing with unsatisfactory workstations, with 21% listing it as the greatest challenge they are facing while working from home.
36% said social isolation was the greatest challenge faced due to work-from-home arrangements.
Meanwhile, 69% of respondents said they would like a hybrid remote and in-office work option to be offered by their employer once the pandemic is over.
A further 17% said they would like to continue working remotely full-time.
The survey shows that almost half of Irish remote workers feel that the switch to remote working has neither helped nor hindered their career progression, with a further 31% believing that the change has aided their professional advancement.
78% of respondents were of the view that the change to remote working had not adversely impacted the profile of their company, with some commenting that it had helped it grow in prominence.
However, employees feel their collaboration with colleagues has suffered, with a combined 67% of the view that it has been damaged by at least a moderate amount, a figure that includes 24% who believe it has deteriorated by "a great deal".
Lorraine Higgins, Secretary-General of Digital Business Ireland has called on businesses and politicians to act on the negative findings of the survey.
"With Covid-19 restrictions set to continue for some months to come, policymakers and businesses should take note of the worrying statistics on social isolation, mental health difficulties and damage to workplace collaboration, and explore further ways to support workers in the weeks ahead," she said.
"I would also highlight the striking support for a "new normal" in working arrangements beyond the pandemic – only 11% of workers would like to return to the status quo from before the crisis," she said.
