An interdisciplinary team of researchers at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) headed by Professor Dr Stefan Süß from the Chair of Business Administration, in particular Organization Studies and Human Resource Management has now examined this mismatch in a scientific study for the first time. The “ProHome” collaborative project funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) identifies the conditions that must be met for working from home to be productive, healthy and satisfactory in the long term.
The study refutes common prejudices. “Working from home promotes productivity and wellbeing when it is flexible and the right resources are available. Good management, clear structures and health-promoting framework conditions are key to the long-term success of mobile working,” explains Professor Stefan Süß.
Working from home: more productive and less stressful
The data obtained provide a clear picture: More time working from home goes hand in hand with greater productivity, improved job satisfaction and lower stress. Technostress does not increase, nor do people experience cognitive overload – on the contrary, both issues decrease the more time people spend working from home. The widely held assumption that working conditions are poor is not confirmed. A large majority of those surveyed have appropriate and fully equipped workstations.
"Our investigations clearly show that working from home does not represent a risk to productivity. On the contrary: it can in fact lead to better work results and less stress,” says project coordinator Professor Stefan Süß.
Hybrid working models are best
Hybrid working models with a high degree of flexibility are particularly beneficial. Employees who can choose where they work report improved work performance, productivity and innovative capabilities compared with individuals who have fixed days when they work from home. At the same time, the study shows that employees do not completely disappear from the office, even when they are largely free to choose where they work. Particularly flexible hybrid models without fixed weekdays are better than rigid regulations and offer the greatest increase in satisfaction, performance and creativity.
“The key factor is not the ratio of days in the office, but rather the flexibility in the system,” says Süß. “Rigid specifications or universal return-to-office rules ignore these advantages and are counterproductive.”
Promoting good working conditions at home
The study identifies key levers for successful work from home: effective management at a distance, support with personal and time management, good ergonomic conditions and exercise breaks facilitated by advisory sessions.
On this basis, the project team developed practical workshops and measures for managers and employees. All measures are based on scientific findings, easy to implement, online-capable and flexibly combinable.
The study coordinator recommends: "Hybrid models with evidence-based support measures are not only feasible, they are in fact the key to sustainable success in the digital world of work.
Background information on the “ProHome” collaborative study
In the project funded from 2023 to 2026 by the former Federal Ministry of Education and Research (since 2025: Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space - BMFTR) “ProHome: Experimental analyses and evidence-based recommendations for ensuring health-promoting and productive work from home against the background of the digital transformation”, an interdisciplinary research team from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf has examined working from home in a scientific study for the first time. The Chair of Business Administration, in particular Organization Studies and Human Resource Management, the Institute of Medical Sociology, the Public Health section of the Institute of Medical Sociology, the Institute of Occupational and Social Medicine, and the Chair of Cognitive and Industrial Psychology were involved in the project. The workplace health promotion organisation Institut für Betriebliche Gesundheitsförderung BGF GmbH in Cologne acted as the practical partner. Interviews, focus groups and online surveys were conducted in the interdisciplinary study involving more than 1,000 participants from eight regional organisations of different sizes in various sectors to develop evidence-based recommendations for organising health-promoting and productive work from home.
The concluding event, which is open to the public, will be held at the Haus der Universität ("University House") in Düsseldorf between 12.30 and 5 p.m. on 29 January 2026. The event will be held in a hybrid format, i.e. you can either attend the event at the Haus der Universität in person or watch the live stream (registration: lehrstuhl.suess@hhu.de). The link will be provided in good time before the event. You can find more information about the programme here (German only).
Contact in the event of questions:
Univ.-Professor Dr Stefan Süß
Chair of Business Administration, in particular Organization Studies and Human Resource Management
Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf
E-mail: stefan.suess@hhu.de
Please note that the event will be held in German.