Résumés
Summary
Restrictions implemented around the world to contain the spread of COVID-19 have had various consequences for workers. Emotional distress, maladaptive behaviours, and issues such as sleep disorders, irritability, and loss of motivation are expected, particularly among employees not used to telework. We wished to find out whether previous telework experience helped workers maintain their quality of life during the lockdown. Data were collected through an anonymous online survey of adult workers ≥ 18 years old in Canada, between May 25, 2020, and June 26, 2020. The survey was completed by 604 teleworkers, 66.8% of whom had not teleworked before the lockdown. The respondents provided self-reported data on sociodemographics, mental health issues, and quality of life. We assessed changes in quality of life by using paired t-tests and linear regression to identify significant determinants. Our analysis shows a decline during the lockdown in all quality of life indicators: stress, irritability, sleep quality, motivation, ability to undertake projects, and surfing the Internet without a specific goal (p < 0.001). The decline was mainly driven not by lack of previous telework experience but rather by a combination of three factors: having young children at home, having a high frequency of telework, and being a man.
Abstract
COVID-19 lockdowns have significantly impacted workers over the last year. In particular, telework has significantly changed the way work is done. We wished to find out whether previous telework experience helped workers maintain their quality of life during the lockdowns. By analyzing data collected from Canadian workers in the spring of 2020, we found that quality of life indicators significantly declined during the lockdown, and that previous telework experience did little to protect workers. We conclude that quality of life declined the most among teleworkers who had young children at home during the lockdown and who also had a high frequency of telework. This combination seems to have been more detrimental to men than to women.
Keywords:
- COVID-19,
- lockdown,
- telework,
- quality of life,
- remote work
Résumé
Les restrictions mises en place dans le monde entier pour contenir la propagation du virus de la COVID-19 ont eu diverses conséquences sur les travailleurs. Il peut en découler une détresse émotionnelle, des comportements inadaptés et des problèmes tels que des troubles du sommeil, de l'irritabilité et une perte de motivation, en particulier chez les employés qui n'ont pas l'habitude de télétravailler. Cette étude vise à déterminer si l'expérience du télétravail peut protéger les travailleurs contre les changements dans leur qualité de vie pendant les confinements liés à la COVID-19. Pour étudier ce phénomène, des données ont été recueillies par le biais d'une enquête en ligne anonyme menée auprès de travailleurs adultes âgés ≥ 18 ans au Canada, entre le 25 mai 2020 et le 26 juin 2020. L'enquête a été complétée par 604 télétravailleurs, dont 66,8 % n'étaient pas habitués au télétravail avant les confinements. Les informations recueillies concernent des données sociodémographiques, des problèmes de santé mentale et la qualité de vie. Les changements dans la qualité de vie ont été évalués à l'aide de tests-t appariés et de régression linéaire afin d'identifier les déterminants significatifs. L'analyse révèle que tous les indicateurs de qualité de vie [stress, irritabilité, qualité du sommeil, motivation, capacité à entreprendre des projets et navigation sur Internet sans but précis (p < 0,001)] se sont détériorés pendant les confinements. Le facteur le plus déterminant de cette détérioration n'est pas l'expérience préalable du télétravail, mais plutôt la présence de jeunes enfants à la maison couplée à la fréquence du télétravail et le sexe des répondants.
Mots-clefs:
- COVID-19,
- Confinement,
- Télétravail,
- Qualité de vie,
- Travail à distance
Parties annexes
References
- Adisa, Toyin Ajibade, Aiyenitaju, Opeoluwa, & Adekoya, Olatunji David. (2021). The work–family balance of British working women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Work-Applied Management.
- Afonso, Pedro, Fonseca, Miguel, & Teodoro, Tomás. (2021). Evaluation of anxiety, depression and sleep quality in full-time teleworkers. Journal of Public Health (Oxford, England).
- Aiken, Leona S, West, Stephen G, & Reno, Raymond R. (1991). Multiple regression: Testing and interpreting interactions: sage.
- Al-Balushi, S., Sohal, A. S., Singh, P. J., Hajri, A. Al, Farsi, Y. M. Al, & Abri, R. Al. (2014). Readiness factors for lean implementation in healthcare settings - a literature review. Journal of Health Organization and Management, 28(2), 135-153.
- Andresen, Elena M, Malmgren, Judith A, Carter, William B, & Patrick, Donald L. (1994). Screening for depression in well older adults: Evaluation of a short form of the CES-D. American journal of preventive medicine, 10(2), 77-84.
- Baert, Stijn, Lippens, Louis, Moens, Eline, Sterkens, Philippe, & Weytjens, Johannes. (2020). How do we think the COVID-19 crisis will affect our careers (if any remain)?
- Baert, Stijn, Lippens, Louis, Moens, Eline, Weytjens, Johannes, & Sterkens, Philippe. (2020). The COVID-19 crisis and telework: A research survey on experiences, expectations and hopes.
- Bailey, Diane E, & Kurland, Nancy B. (2002). A review of telework research: Findings, new directions, and lessons for the study of modern work. Journal of Organizational Behavior: The International Journal of Industrial, Occupational and Organizational Psychology and Behavior, 23(4), 383-400.
- Baines, Susan, & Gelder, Ulrike. (2003). What is family friendly about the workplace in the home? The case of self‐employed parents and their children. New Technology, Work and Employment, 18(3), 223-234.
- Bakker, Arnold B, & Demerouti, Evangelia. (2007). The job demands‐resources model: State of the art. Journal of managerial psychology.
- Bélanger, France. (1999). Workers' propensity to telecommute: An empirical study. Information & management, 35(3), 139-153.
- Belzunegui-Eraso, Angel, & Erro-Garcés, Amaya. (2020). Teleworking in the Context of the Covid-19 Crisis. Sustainability, 12(9), 3662.
- Bentley, TA, Teo, STT, McLeod, L, Tan, F, Bosua, R, & Gloet, M. (2016). The role of organisational support in teleworker wellbeing: A socio-technical systems approach. Applied Ergonomics, 52, 207-215.
- Bianchi, Suzanne M, Sayer, Liana C, Milkie, Melissa A, & Robinson, John P. (2012). Housework: Who did, does or will do it, and how much does it matter? Social forces, 91(1), 55-63.
- Bouziri, Hanifa, Smith, David RM, Descatha, Alexis, Dab, William, & Jean, Kévin. (2020). Working from home in the time of covid-19: how to best preserve occupational health? Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 77(7), 509-510.
- Brem, Alexander, Viardot, Eric, & Nylund, Petra A. (2021). Implications of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak for innovation: Which technologies will improve our lives? Technological forecasting and social change, 163, 120451.
- Brooks, Samantha K, Webster, Rebecca K, Smith, Louise E, Woodland, Lisa, Wessely, Simon, Greenberg, Neil, & Rubin, Gideon James. (2020). The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: rapid review of the evidence. The lancet, 395(10227), 912-920.
- CRHA. (2020). Baromètre RH express : rapport des résultats – gestion du télétravail, (CRHA). In Ordre des conseillers en ressources humaines agréés (Ed.). Retrieved from http://www.portailrh.org/barometrerh/doc/CRHA_teletravail_rapport-Resultat-1906-2020.pdf
- de Graaff, Thomas, & Rietveld, Piet. (2004). ICT and substitution between out-of-home and at-home work: the importance of timing. Environment and Planning A, 36(5), 879-896.
- Durieux, Eve. (2020). Télétravail et confinement, vers une coexistence vivable. Ministère de l'intérieur,
- Elhai, Jon D, Levine, Jason C, Dvorak, Robert D, & Hall, Brian J. (2016). Fear of missing out, need for touch, anxiety and depression are related to problematic smartphone use. Computers in Human Behavior, 63, 509-516.
- Even, Angela. (2020). The Evolution of Work: Best Practices for Avoiding Social and Organizational Isolation in Telework Employees. Available at SSRN 3543122.
- Frey, Carl Benedikt, & Osborne, Michael A. (2017). The future of employment: How susceptible are jobs to computerisation? Technological forecasting and social change, 114, 254-280.
- Galanti, Teresa, Guidetti, Gloria, Mazzei, Elisabetta, Zappalà, Salvatore, & Toscano, Ferdinando. (2021). Work from home during the COVID-19 outbreak: The impact on employees’ remote work productivity, engagement, and stress. Journal of occupational and environmental medicine, 63(7), e426.
- Gjoneska, Biljana, Potenza, Marc N, Jones, Julia, Corazza, Ornella, Hall, Natalie, Sales, Célia MD, . . . Werling, Anna Maria. (2022). Problematic use of the internet during the COVID-19 pandemic: Good practices and mental health recommendations. Comprehensive psychiatry, 112, 152279.
- Golden, Timothy D. (2006). Avoiding depletion in virtual work: telework and the intervening impact of work exhaustion on commitment and turnover intentions. Journal of vocational behavior, 69(1), 176-187.
- Golden, Timothy D, & Eddleston, Kimberly A. (2020). Is there a price telecommuters pay? Examining the relationship between telecommuting and objective career success. Journal of vocational behavior, 116, 103348.
- Golden, Timothy D, Veiga, John F, & Dino, Richard N. (2008). The impact of professional isolation on teleworker job performance and turnover intentions: does time spent teleworking, interacting face-to-face, or having access to communication-enhancing technology matter? Journal of Applied Psychology, 93(6), 1412.
- Haddad, Hebba, Lyons, Glenn, & Chatterjee, Kiron. (2009). An examination of determinants influencing the desire for and frequency of part-day and whole-day homeworking. Journal of Transport Geography, 17(2), 124-133.
- Halford, Susan. (2005). Hybrid workspace: Re‐spatialisations of work, organisation and management. New Technology, Work and Employment, 20(1), 19-33.
- Hallin, Henning. (2020). Home-Based Telework During the Covid-19 Pandemic. In.
- Hamouche, Salima. (2020). COVID-19 and employees’ mental health: stressors, moderators and agenda for organizational actions. Emerald Open Research, 2.
- Harris, Lynette. (2003). Home‐based teleworking and the employment relationship: Managerial challenges and dilemmas. Personnel Review.
- He, Sylvia Y, & Hu, Lingqian. (2015). Telecommuting, income, and out-of-home activities. Travel Behaviour and Society, 2(3), 131-147.
- Hsieh, Yu-Chen, Tsai, Wang-Chin, & Hsia, Yu-Chi. (2020). A Study on Technology Anxiety Among Different Ages and Genders. Paper presented at the International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction.
- Illegems, Viviane, & Verbeke, Alain. (2004). Telework: what does it mean for management? Long range planning, 37(4), 319-334.
- Iscan, Omer Faruk, & Naktiyok, Atilhan. (2005). Attitudes towards telecommuting: the Turkish case. Journal of Information Technology, 20(1), 52-63.
- Jaiswal, Akanksha, & Arun, C Joe. (2020). Unlocking the COVID-19 Lockdown: Work from Home and Its Impact on Employees.
- Lenzo, Vittorio, Quattropani, Maria C, Sardella, Alberto, Martino, Gabriella, & Bonanno, George A. (2021). Depression, anxiety, and stress among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 outbreak and relationships with expressive flexibility and context sensitivity. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 348.
- Lister, Kate, & Harnish, Tom. (2019). Telework and its effects in the United States. In Telework in the 21st Century: Edward Elgar Publishing.
- Martínez‐Sánchez, Angel, Pérez‐Pérez, Manuela, De‐Luis‐Carnicer, Pilar, & Vela‐Jiménez, María José. (2007). Telework, human resource flexibility and firm performance. New Technology, Work and Employment, 22(3), 208-223.
- Maruyama, Takao, & Tietze, Susanne. (2012). From anxiety to assurance: Concerns and outcomes of telework. Personnel Review.
- Mello, Jeffrey A. (2007). Managing telework programs effectively. Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal, 19(4), 247-261.
- Mokhtarian, Patricia L, Bagley, Michael N, & Salomon, Ilan. (1998). The impact of gender, occupation, and presence of children on telecommuting motivations and constraints. Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 49(12), 1115-1134.
- Nakrošienė, Audronė, Bučiūnienė, Ilona, & Goštautaitė, Bernadeta. (2019). Working from home: characteristics and outcomes of telework. International Journal of Manpower.
- Nauman, Shazia, Raja, Usman, Haq, Inam Ul, & Bilal, Waqas. (2019). Job demand and employee well-being: A moderated mediation model of emotional intelligence and surface acting. Personnel Review.
- Nielsen, Morten Birkeland, Christensen, Jan Olav, & Knardahl, Stein. (2021). Working at home and alcohol use. Addictive Behaviors Reports, 14, 100377.
- Nurul Habib, Khandker M, Sasic, Ana, & Zaman, Hamid. (2012). Investigating telecommuting considerations in the context of commuting mode choice. International Journal of Sustainable Transportation, 6(6), 362-383.
- Park, Seejeen, & Cho, Yoon Jik. (2020). Does telework status affect the behavior and perception of supervisors? Examining task behavior and perception in the telework context. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 1-26.
- Pérez, Manuela Pérez, Sánchez, Angel Martínez, de Luis Carnicer, Pilar, & Jiménez, María José Vela. (2004). A technology acceptance model of innovation adoption: the case of teleworking. European Journal of innovation management.
- Peters, Pascale, Tijdens, Kea G, & Wetzels, Cecile. (2004). Employees’ opportunities, preferences, and practices in telecommuting adoption. Information & management, 41(4), 469-482.
- Pitafi, Abdul Hameed, Rasheed, Muhammad Imran, Kanwal, Shamsa, & Ren, Minglun. (2020). Employee agility and enterprise social media: The Role of IT proficiency and work expertise. Technology in Society, 63, 101333.
- Prodanova, Jana, & Kocarev, Ljupco. (2021). Is job performance conditioned by work-from-home demands and resources? Technology in Society, 66, 101672.
- Radloff, Lenore S. (1977). A self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Applied psychol Measurements, 1, 385-401.
- Raghuram, Sumita, Wiesenfeld, Batia, & Garud, Raghu. (2000). ADJUSTMENT TO TELECOMMUTING: ROLE OF SELF-EFFICACY AND STRUCTURING. Paper presented at the Academy of management proceedings.
- Raišienė, Agota Giedrė, Rapuano, Violeta, Varkulevičiūtė, Kristina, & Stachová, Katarína. (2020). Working from Home—Who is Happy? A Survey of Lithuania’s employees during the COVID-19 quarantine period. Sustainability, 12(13), 5332.
- Rubin, Ori, Nikolaeva, Anna, Nello-Deakin, Samuel, & te Brömmelstroet, Marco. (2020). What can we learn from the COVID-19 pandemic about how people experience working from home and commuting. Centre for Urban Studies, University of Amsterdam Working Paper.
- Sener, Ipek N, & Reeder, Phillip R. (2012). An examination of behavioral linkages across ICT choice dimensions: copula modeling of telecommuting and teleshopping choice behavior. Environment and Planning A, 44(6), 1459-1478.
- Silva-C, Alejandro. (2019). The attitude of managers toward telework, why is it so difficult to adopt it in organizations? Technology in Society, 59, 101133.
- Singh, Palvinder, Paleti, Rajesh, Jenkins, Syndney, & Bhat, Chandra R. (2013). On modeling telecommuting behavior: Option, choice, and frequency. Transportation, 40(2), 373-396.
- Song, Younghwan, & Gao, Jia. (2020). Does telework stress employees out? A study on working at home and subjective well-being for wage/salary workers. Journal of Happiness studies, 21(7), 2649-2668.
- Taskin, Laurent, & Bridoux, Flore. (2010). Telework: a challenge to knowledge transfer in organizations. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 21(13), 2503-2520.
- Thatcher, Sherry MB, & Zhu, Xiumei. (2006). Changing identities in a changing workplace: Identification, identity enactment, self-verification, and telecommuting. Academy of Management Review, 31(4), 1076-1088.
- Vayre, Émilie. (2019). Les incidences du télétravail sur le travailleur dans les domaines professionnel, familial et social. Le travail humain, 82(1), 1-39.
- Wang, Bin, Liu, Yukun, Qian, Jing, & Parker, Sharon K. (2021). Achieving effective remote working during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A work design perspective. Applied psychology, 70(1), 16-59.
- Wiesenfeld, Batia M, Raghuram, Sumita, & Garud, Raghu. (1999). Communication patterns as determinants of organizational identification in a virtual organization. Organization Science, 10(6), 777-790.