{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,29]],"date-time":"2026-07-29T05:02:48Z","timestamp":1785301368301,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":62,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,29]],"date-time":"2026-07-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1785283200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Psychol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>As organizations reassess remote work policies in the post-pandemic era, questions remain about how flexible work arrangements impact employee well-being, connection, and turnover.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Employing a time-lagged design with data from 7,704 employees across three work environments\u2014remote (\n                      <jats:italic>n\u202f=<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f1,869), hybrid (\n                      <jats:italic>n\u202f=<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f2,099), and onsite (\n                      <jats:italic>n\u202f=<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f3,736)\u2014this study examines the psychological and organizational outcomes associated with work location.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Remote employees reported the highest well-being (M\u202f=\u202f4.22), followed by hybrid (M\u202f=\u202f4.12), and onsite workers (M\u202f=\u202f3.89). ANOVA and post-hoc tests confirmed significant differences in well-being by work type, with remote workers reporting better outcomes. Similarly, positive workplace connection was mentioned at the highest rate among remote employees, though results were nonsignificant. Turnover rates examined 1 year post survey data collection were lowest for remote workers (7.8%) and highest for onsite employees (8.8%), though these differences were not statistically significant.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Discussion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>These findings challenge assumptions that remote work undermines connection and retention. Instead, they suggest that remote work can support well-being and that well-being, not proximity, is a key factor in employee retention. Implications for policy, leadership, and theoretical models of work are discussed.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1848857","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,29]],"date-time":"2026-07-29T04:36:30Z","timestamp":1785299790000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Rethinking return-to-office: the positive impact of remote work on well-being, connection, and employee retention"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Alyssa M.","family":"Lezcano","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Leadership Institute, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center","place":["Houston, TX, United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Stephanie A.","family":"Zajac","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Leadership Institute, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center","place":["Houston, TX, United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Stefanie K.","family":"Johnson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado Boulder","place":["Boulder, CO, United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Courtney L.","family":"Holladay","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Leadership Institute, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center","place":["Houston, TX, United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"817","DOI":"10.1111\/joop.12494","article-title":"Changes in belongingness, meaningful work, and emotional exhaustion among new high-intensity telecommuters: insights from pandemic remote workers","volume":"97","author":"Afota","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. 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