Peer-reviewed study of 7,704 workers: remote employees report the highest well-being
A peer-reviewed study of 7,704 employees, published in Frontiers in Psychology on 29 July 2026, found remote workers reported the highest well-being of any working arrangement. On a five-point scale, remote employees scored 4.22, ahead of hybrid workers (4.12) and onsite workers (3.89). The differences between all three groups were statistically significant (p < 0.001).
The study also tracked turnover one year after the survey. Remote workers had the lowest rate (7.8%) and onsite workers the highest (8.8%), though the authors note this turnover difference was not statistically significant. Remote employees also reported positive workplace connection at the highest rate (61%, versus 58% hybrid and 55% onsite). The researchers conclude that well-being, rather than physical proximity, is what drives retention.
Why this matters
If your employer is citing “team connection” or “culture” as the reason for a return-to-office mandate, this study is evidence you can bring to the conversation. It found remote workers felt more connected, not less, and reported the best well-being. The well-being gap between remote and onsite work was statistically robust; the retention gap pointed the same way but did not reach significance, so the strongest claim to make from this data is about well-being and connection, not a hard retention number.
Context
The findings run counter to the return-to-office rationale adopted by a growing number of European employers through 2025 and 2026, which typically rests on the assumption that in-person presence improves engagement and lowers attrition. This time-lagged design (measuring well-being first, then turnover a year later) adds weight to a research picture that increasingly separates the question of where people work from the question of how well they do.
As with any single study, treat the exact figures as one data point rather than settled fact, and note the authors’ own caution on the non-significant turnover result.