Home Advantage or Hidden Strain? The Mental Health Effects of Working from Home across Gender, Childcare Status, and Occupational Class before and since the Pandemic.

The aim of this study was to identify specific management practices that promote the psychological health of remote workers in the context of the COVID‐19 crisis. A two‐round Delphi study was conducted among 28 teleworkers and 22 managers. A list of 60 specific management practices was presented and participants had to identify whether each one could be used in the current remote working context and, if so, how useful it was to promote psychological health at work. Results indicate that most specific management practices usually used in a face‐to‐face setting can also be used in a remote context (85%). Practices that show consideration, establishing work structure, and allowing flexibility were also identified as the most useful to promote remote workers' psychological health during the pandemic. This study contributes to the advancement of knowledge about specific management practices, remote working, and crisis management. It also suggests specific practices that managers can adopt to promote the psychological health of their employees during a period of crisis, even while managing from a distance.

The current global outbreak caused by COVID-19 has produced a unique situation with severe health and financial consequences. The fast and quick global impact called for an immediate response. A key public health action was the decision to amend the law to allow employees to work from home (WFH) whenever it was possible. In response to public health restrictions to stop the spread of COVID-19, organizations quickly switched to WFH without fully comprehending the effects of continued WFH on mental and physical health. Working from anywhere and at any time has made the separation between business and personal life more difficult. These modifications may cause employees' workdays to be longer and to experience greater work-life conflict. Overwork and work addiction provide a greater risk to the public's health and can harm various facets of mental and physical health, such as depression, anxiety, and sleep difficulties. There hasn't been much research on the underlying processes that link workaholism to poor mental health, especially among Indian academics. There is a rise in the number of people who are worried about their mental health in academic settings. The primary purpose of this study is to determine whether academicians in India can potentially have a healthy work-family balance, which may mitigate the negative impacts of workaholism and poor mental health especially due to the Work from Home system. A population-based study was conducted on academicians (n = 456) at private and public universities in Delhi NCR, India. Workaholism, work-family balance, and mental health difficulties were all measured using self-reported scales in the study. By using path analysis, the proposed mediation model was evaluated. The survey responses had an accuracy rate of 80%. Based on the conceptual research framework, PLS-SEM path modeling is used to find the causal connection between the indicators and latent components. The findings indicated that workaholism has been associated with mental health in two different ways: directly and through work-family balance. The path analysis found a statistically significant relationship between work from home and mental health through workaholism and work-family balance. Increased levels of anxiety, depression, stress, headaches, exhaustion, and reduced job satisfaction were some of the mental health consequences of Work from Home. This study provides real-world guidance to human resource managers on how to prioritize composite-level interventions at all levels of the university to create highly satisfied employees, provide a good working environment, and improve employees' mental health. Many researches have been done on the relationship between work-from-home and employee mental health, but relatively few have looked at how work-life balance and workaholism play a role in how work-from-home affects employees' mental health. This study fills a need in the academic and practitioner literature by investigating the relationship between work-from-home from home and employee mental health as well as the mediating function of work-family balance and workaholism with regard to Indian higher education institutions.

The COVID-19 pandemic has substantially increased remote and hybrid working rates, creating a large group of workers whose experiences differ from those in traditional workplace settings. While previous studies have compared remote and non-remote workers in relation to productivity, performance and well-being, less attention has been given to how their mobility patterns differ. Although researchers have suggested that the ability to work remotely affects workers’ mobilities, there remains limited empirical evidence comparing remote and non-remote workers’ mobilities. This paper presents the first study to compare the mobilities of these groups in the UK. It focuses on four types of mobility studied in relation to remote work: counterurbanisation, commuting, multi-local work and immobility. It is the first to integrate analysis of all four mobilities, offering a novel, integrated perspective on remote work and mobility. The paper examines regional differences in these mobilities across the UK, highlighting how workers’ mobility patterns vary between regions. This study draws on data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study and employs bivariate statistical tests and regression analyses. The results show that remote workers are more likely than non-remote workers to move to rural areas, own second homes and commute longer distances. These trends are pronounced in southern English regions. Remote work risks reinforcing existing inequalities between knowledge workers and manual workers and perpetuating traditional associations between mobility and urban areas in the UK. Furthermore, while remote work may generate new economic opportunities, it may also increase demand for accessible rural housing, particularly in regions surrounding London.

Aim/Purpose This paper critically examines how remote and hybrid work, though widely celebrated for increasing flexibility and sustainability, can reproduce or exacerbate structural, organizational, and psychological inequalities among employees. Background While remote work is often associated with positive outcomes, mainstream discussions underrepresent the disparities it can generate. This paper addresses this gap by applying a Critical Work and Organizational Psychology (CWOP) perspective to analyze inequities across access, control, and well-being. Methodology This is a concept-driven critical review. The selection of literature prioritized theoretical depth and relevance rather than exhaustive coverage. The analysis is interpretative and interdisciplinary, informed by work psychology, organizational studies, and labor sociology. Contribution The paper introduces a multidimensional critique of remote work, offering theoretical insights and practical recommendations to promote equity in remote and hybrid work environments. Findings Remote work access is stratified by job level, socioeconomic status, and digital infrastructure. Organizational control, biased monitoring, and visibility bias reinforce hierarchies. Individual disparities, such as psychological capital, caregiving burdens, and digital competence, further marginalize certain groups. Recommendations for Practitioners Organizations should adopt role-based eligibility, provide equitable resources, use outcome-based evaluations, and support caregivers and mental health needs. Recommendations for Researchers Future studies should assess the long-term impact of remote work on marginalized groups and examine how emerging technologies affect workplace equity. Impact on Society The findings highlight the risk that remote work may deepen societal inequalities if equity is not a central design goal. Future Research Research should explore intersectional impacts and the ethical integration of AI and digital tools in remote work.

This study aimed to investigate the impact of transitioning from work from home (WFH) to office work on workers’ musculoskeletal disorder symptoms (MSDs) and mental health among full-time Taiwanese employees who experienced both work modes during the COVID-19 pandemic. An anonymous self-report questionnaire was administered to 502 participants between June and November 2022. Participants’ characteristics, work-related behaviors, sitting posture, and changes in these factors during the transition from WFH to office work were collected. MSDs were assessed using the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ), and mental health was evaluated by a 5-item Brief Symptom Rating Scale (BSRS-5). Participants’ ergonomic work environment was also assessed while WFH. Analyses were conducted using chi-square, McNemar, paired-t tests, and logistic regression. The transition from WHF to office work was associated with significant increases in MSDs (22.51% reported an increase in MSD scores) and mental health scores (7.02 to 8.75), indicating worsening in these areas. Participants who remained the same or increased BSRS-5 scores had a significantly higher risk of experiencing worsened MSDs compared to those in the Improved group (aORs = 15.666 and 8.596, respectively, both p < 0.001). Participants who shifted to a more tense sitting posture had a significantly higher likelihood of worsening MSD scores upon returning to the office compared with the Improved group (aOR = 7.914, p = 0.011). Furthermore, participants with poor ergonomic working environments during remote work had a significantly higher risk of worsening MSD scores rather than improvement after returning to the office (aORs = 2.750, p = 0.018). This study found that workers’ musculoskeletal disorder status deteriorated when they transitioned from remote work back to office-based work. Our findings suggest that this worsening of MSDs is significantly linked to a decline in mental health during the transition.

Introduction: The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted the economy and has resulted in changes to the working arrangements of employees who are based at home and may continue to work from home (WFH). Organizations are expected to develop an inclusive policy for their employees to promote mental health whilst working from home. The aim of this study was to document the impact of WFH on mental health and determine the expectations of employees from their organizations regarding occupational health policy. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted on the impact of work from home on mental health and to document the mental health support needs of employees. Google form was floated through social media platform to receive the responses. A total of 74 responses were received. Descriptive analysis was conducted using Microsoft Excel, while qualitative answers were manually analysed. Results: About 67% employees (n=45) mentioned that their workload has increased significantly during work from home. Thirty five percent (n=26) felt lonely and lost and 47% (n= 34) felt disconnected from the real world, indicating the mental health impact of work from home. Fifty three percent employees (n=40) mentioned that there were no efforts made by their organization to reduce the mental health impact of work from home. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that there is an urgent need to create a comprehensive occupational health and safety policy inclusive of strategies to improve mental health by the organizations in light of “work from home” as a “new-normal”.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the impact of work from home (WFH) during the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health and reproductive health of women in Indonesia. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study evaluating the impact of WFH policy on said health aspects in Indonesia. Methods: We conducted an observational study with a cross-sectional approach using an online survey among premenopausal married women in Indonesia. The survey included the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) for psychological distress, average sexual intercourse frequency (SIF) per week, contraception use, change of menstrual pattern, and desire for having children. To analyze the effect of WFH, the participants were divided into groups based on their WFH compliance: (1) Both couples (her and her spouse) work from home, (2) Only the wife works from home, (3) Only the husband works from home, and (4) Neither works from home. Results: 348 women were included in this study. Psychological distress occurred in 48.0% (n = 167) participants. No significant difference was found between the WFH groups (χ 2[3, N = 348] = 2.077, p = .56)). The average weekly SIF was found to be significantly fewer during WFH (T = 5014, z = −5.598, p < .001). However, only 22.7% (n = 79) participants reported the use of contraception and 52.9% (n = 196) participants still wanted to have children. Change of menstrual pattern occurred in 31.6% (n = 110) participants and were significantly correlated to psychological distress (rs = .126, p = .018). Conclusions: WFH does not aggravate the effect of the pandemic on women's mental and reproductive health in Indonesia. A significant number of them still desire to have children and contraceptive prevalence is low.

Remote working has grown significantly over the past few decades, driven by advancements in information and communication technologies (ICTs) and the widespread availability of high-speed internet. This study investigates remote work dynamics by analyzing its impacts on mental health, productivity, and the relationships between gender, industry, region, and remote work satisfaction using a dataset of 5000 individuals. Statistical analyses, including chi-square tests, ANOVA test, binomial test, and logistic regression, reveal significant findings. Logistic regression identifies workplace location as a significant predictor of remote work satisfaction. Industry, years of experience and regional disparities in openness to remote work and work-life balance were statistically insignificant. The manufacturing sector of the industry showed the highest remote work adoption (37.8%), and regions like Asia and Europe reported slightly better work-life integration (41.3% and 41.1%, respectively). Notably, approximately 75% of employees across all demographics reported mental health challenges, highlighting the universal impact of remote work on well-being. These findings emphasize the need for tailored, evidence-based strategies to optimize remote and hybrid work environments, ensuring sustainable productivity and equitable employee support.

Background: The COVID-19 outbreak necessitated physical distancing, as part of secondary prevention, at a personal and professional level. Working from home (WFH) became increasingly important. In this study, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions on physical and mental health is investigated, compared with pre-pandemic data, and with employees who WFH and are on-site. Methods: Data from the German Saxon longitudinal study population were used. Attitudes towards WFH as well as mental and physical health assessments during the COVID-19 pandemic were examined. Comparisons were made with corresponding pre-pandemic scores and between employees WFH and on-site in 2022. Results: In total, 319 participants with equal gender distribution were included. Of those, 86 worked from home stating better organizability of their work, more time for partnership, less stress, and greater work satisfaction. Compared to pre-pandemic data, the D-score, PHQ-4, G-Score, and PHQ-SSS-8 showed a significant increase. No difference in physical or mental health between employees WFH and on-site was observed. Conclusion: In general, COVID-19 restrictions had a negative impact on mental and physical health. Although WFH is well accepted, it did not show significant health benefits.

Working from home (WFH) may affect health behaviors and mental health. The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic saw many USemployees transition to WFH, which has persisted in various job sectors and significantly impacted employees. However, its effects on health outcomes have remained unclear. We aimed to explore the characteristics and health outcomes of, and health-related differences between, WFH and not-WFH groups. Using the 2021 California Health Interview Survey data, we analyzed health behaviors (smoking, alcohol consumption, and fruit-related nutrition) and the mental health status of 12,438 individuals using descriptive statistics, Pearson's χ2 test, and regressions. A total of 39% were WFH and 61% were not-WFH. Overall, the WFH group had worse health behaviors and mental health than the not-WFH group. Age was associated with smoking in both groups (WFH: b = 0.37; not-WFH: b = 0.35), but with fruit-related nutrition only in the WFH group. Household income and occupation were associated with alcohol consumption in both groups. Age (WFH: b = -1.58; not-WFH: b = -1.39), household income (WFH: b = -0.75; not-WFH: b = -0.34), and job duration (WFH: b = -0.34; not-WFH: b = -0.40) were associated with mental health in both groups; those who were younger and had lower household incomes and job durations had worse mental health. Health management is a clear necessity for the WFH group. Irrespective of WFH status, young workers with shorter than 5 years'job duration reported mental distress, highlighting a need for distress assessment and management for the young workforce.

Purpose: The purpose of the article is to discuss issues related to remote work. The article is addressed to all persons who recently had to switch to remote work. Remote work is a novelty for many people. Just like every change, it often triggers adverse reactions, including fear, anxiety and reluctance. The article explores this type of work, presenting both its advantages and disadvantages. It summarises drawbacks and merits of remote work for both companies and individual employees. Moreover, it outlines challenges faced by companies and associated with the remote work system. Design/methodology/approach: Literature research of the subject was carried out. Findings: According to the data of OECD, we are currently one of the hardest working nations of Europe. However, this makes apparent the adverse trend related to remote work – a lot of overtime. This is a proof that many employees are unable to draw the line between their professional life and private life, with a significant harm to the latter. Therefore, the problem must be explored further. However, with a high degree of probability, where remote work proves to be effective, companies will combine remote and office work by deploying a hybrid work model. Such a solution is advantageous from both social – it is important for employees to experience team work and feel that they belong to a group – and well-being – isolation is often harmful for mental health – point of view. Practical implications: A modern organisation, corporation or company is an entity that quickly and decidedly responds to changing market needs. Every employee must be able to use modern technologies. Such skills turned out to be a necessity to perform tasks and professional duties, since use of cutting-edge technologies is a foundation of remote work. Originality/value: A holistic view on the issue of remote work from the perspective of employees for whom it is a novelty. Presentation of certain hazards associated with remote work along with its undeniable advantages for employees and employers. Keywords: company management, remote work, pandemics, human factor. Category of the paper: General review.

We need to make sure telecommuting does not exacerbate gender disparity

Work From Home (WFH) During COVID-19: Is Virtual Reality (VR) a New Solution to New Problems?

Below we summarise these papers briefly, starting with Mustaffa et al. &#39;s study on the effects of communication, training, and transformational leadership during COVID-19 in Malaysia underscores the necessity for businesses to adapt to remote and hybrid work environments. It highlights the challenges of balancing flexibility with issues like isolation and household intrusions. Effective employee engagement strategies are crucial as organisations reshape their structures post-pandemic, emphasising health and well-being. The research calls for reflection on past practices while innovating management approaches. It also stresses the need for improved IT infrastructure to support remote work. Ultimately, the study aims to foster adaptable, resilient workplaces that prioritise employee engagement and well-being.Yang et al.&#39;s research on High Involvement Work Practices (HIWPs) highlights their impact on employee well-being and service outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. As organisations shift to remote and hybrid work, HIWPs can enhance service performance through customer orientation but may also increase workloads, leading to work-family conflict and reduced well-being. The study underscores the need for supportive leadership and the adaptation of management practices to prioritise employee health. Reflecting on past experiences is crucial for developing strategies that balance work demands with employee support, fostering healthier work environments. By integrating these insights, organisations can enhance resilience and adaptability in a changing landscape.Building on Durkheim&#39;s concept of anomic suicide Ozbilgin et al. highlight how weakened institutional policies can lead to workplace suicides, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. As organisations shift to remote and hybrid models, the need for strong support systems becomes critical due to increased isolation and mental health issues. The study identifies dehumanisation and misrecognition as key factors contributing to employee wellbeing challenges. It emphasises the importance of implementing effective practices that acknowledge employee needs and advocates for a proactive approach to prevent workrelated suicides. Ultimately, it calls for strategies that foster employee engagement and mental health, creating resilient workplaces.Exploring equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) challenges in universities, Toroghi et al. examine the effects of neoliberal managerialism and the COVID-19 pandemic on institutional practices. While remote and hybrid work models have increased productivity, they have also led to isolation and stress, reflecting toxic workplace cultures. The authors argue that a competitive focus on efficiency often undermines inclusivity, exacerbating biases against marginalised groups. They propose the NEAR framework-Noticing, Empathising, Appraising, and Responding-to cultivate a compassionate workplace culture that prioritizes EDI. In the post-pandemic landscape, fostering organisational compassion and inclusivity is essential for building resilient, supportive environments that enhance employee engagement.Lastly, Diaz et al.&#39;s exploration of ongoing professional training for social education practitioners underscores the urgent need for adaptability amid societal changes, especially during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. As organizations shift to remote and hybrid models, challenges arise in fostering effective practices. The study highlights the importance of continuous training in mental health, management, and mediation. The pandemic has revealed vulnerabilities in traditional work structures, emphasizing health and well-being. Both business and education sectors must reflect on past experiences to re-imagine their practices. A compassionate, ethical approach can foster supportive environments, enhancing individual well-being and organisational resilience in serving diverse communities.Utilising diverse conceptual and methodological perspectives, the articles in this research topic emphasize the need to adapt to new work structures during challenging times. They highlight the importance of employee well-being and equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) while examining effective management strategies for businesses transitioning to remote work environments.

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed various aspects of our lives, including how we work. Since the start of the pandemic, numerous organizations in Canada have mandated their employees to work from home (WFH) on a full-time basis. The rapid rise in the number of remote workers and the possibility for WFH continuing in the future signifies the importance of understanding the health and well-being of employees working from home over the course of the pandemic in Canada. We present the findings of two surveys (initial and 6-month follow-up) to examine the health and well-being of WFH employees during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. We analyzed the changes in mental and physical health and well-being of employees who were working from home between two time points during the pandemic.MethodsInitial survey was completed between October 2020 and December 2020 (n = 1617); follow-up survey was completed between May 2021 and June 2021 (n = 382). We calculated the frequencies for survey questions involving demographics, WFH preferences, workstation setup training, employment situation, provision of hardware technologies, provision and usage of software technologies, and organization’s return to work plan. We conducted Wilcoxon signed-rank tests to analyze the within-individual changes in mental and physical health and well-being of the 382 respondents who completed both the initial and follow-up surveys.ResultsOur analyses showed significant changes in various aspects of employee mental and physical health and well-being. Burnout, stress, general mental health, and job insecurity levels significantly decreased between the two time periods. Work-related sedentary behaviour reduced over time; however, the average proportion of time spent sitting during work hours was more than 80% in both surveys. Employees received more help and feedback from their colleagues and experienced a better sense of community with their co-workers over time.ConclusionThe findings can inform workers and organizations on the changes in mental and physical health and well-being of employees working from home during the pandemic. By understanding the changes in worker health and well-being, employers can develop effective strategies and implement policies that help protect employees’ health and well-being.