I love this article from Reuters that points out that “control at work is good for health.” The findings were published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 
Control at work, to me , includes the option to telecommute, which may cut down on stress from commuting and can provide more time for family and exercise. Unfortunately “the researchers found no studies of telecommuting or job sharing that met their quality criteria — pointing to a need for more research into those types of work conditions.”
But the study did point out (and somewhat obvious) that “For years, studies have found links between “high job strain” and heightened rates of heart disease, depression and other ills.” My mother, who recently retired, spent the last twenty years working at a power plant in a desk job. She was a union employee who was given no control over how she handled her work day. She clocked in and clocked out, so to speak. Over the years her health began to deteriorate slightly prompting her physician to put her on a few medications to combat high cholesterol and reflux. Two months after she retired her cholesterol dropped 60 points. 60 points!! While her situation is not a scientific study and cannot account for any cumulative affect her medications had on her cholesterol level, her overall happiness is greater because she now has control over her day.
Filed under: health, productivity, telecommuting, telecommuting facts | Tagged: health, job flexibility, telecommuting
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