Factors Influencing Adjustment to Remote Work: Employees' Initial Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Anu Sivunen,Kirsimarja Blomqvist,Ward Van Zoonen,Thomas Olsson,Annina Ropponen,Matti Vartiainen,Kaisa Henttonen

doi:10.3390/ijerph18136966

Abstract

The COVID-19 crisis has disrupted when, where, and how employees work. Drawing on a sample of 5452 Finnish employees, this study explores the factors associated with employees’ abrupt adjustment to remote work. Specifically, this study examines structural factors (i.e., work independence and the clarity of job criteria), relational factors (i.e., interpersonal trust and social isolation), contextual factors of work (i.e., change in work location and perceived disruption), and communication dynamics (i.e., organizational communication quality and communication technology use (CTU)) as mechanisms underlying adjustment to remote work. The findings demonstrate that structural and contextual factors are important predictors of adjustment and that these relationships are moderated by communication quality and CTU. Contrary to previous research, trust in peers and supervisors does not support adjustment to remote work. We discuss the implications of these findings for practice during and beyond times of crisis.

Highlights

Even the most conservative estimates anticipate that at least 45 million jobs in the EU-27 labor market are directly at risk from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disruptions [1]
We examine the role of changes in work location as the discrepancy between current remote work practices and remote work practices before the COVID-19 crisis
It should be noted that higher frequencies of CTU allow employees to adjust better to remote work when disruption is high than when the frequency of CTU in these situations is low. The findings of this cross-sectional study during the early phase of the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 in Finland indicate that structural factors make it easier for employees to adjust to remote work settings

Summary

Introduction

Even the most conservative estimates anticipate that at least 45 million jobs in the EU-27 labor market (approximately 23% of the total EU-27 employment) are directly at risk from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disruptions [1]. The outbreak of COVID-19 has had a drastic impact on work at a global scale [2]. The extent to which employees can adjust to remote work is crucial for individual outcomes (e.g., mental health, well-being, job satisfaction) and organizational outcomes (e.g., organizational performance). This study explores factors related to employees’ adjustment to remote work practices during the first phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. In achieving the aim of this study, we contribute to emerging research on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on work [3,5,6,7,8]

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Results

Discussion

Conclusion