Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, most employees in Saudi Arabia were asked to work from home. This study investigated the extent to which the indoor spaces of Saudi homes were adaptable to the concept of 'working from home' and how employees managed to work productively. A questionnaire survey was conducted among Saudi employees to gather data on their normal workplaces, home workspace designs, and work productivity. The results show that 42% of participants work in the living room, only 42% used an office desk and chair, 38% did not use any specific furniture, and 46% used mood enhancers (the addition of personalised elements to their work setup) to help them adapt better to working from home. Altogether, 63% of the participants indicated that they were satisfied with their productivity levels. Based on cross-sectional trends identified in our analyses, this paper makes recommendations for how employees who have to work from home can adapt quicker to the new situation. This includes recommendations for minor changes to existing home designs rather than rezoning or restructuring the home layout.
Highlights
On 30 January 2020, the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) director announced that the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a serious global issue, and WHO member states considered options to stop the spread of the virus [1,2]
A qualitative study of local Saudis adapting to working and studying during the pandemic in April 2020 [4] showed that 83% of employees worked during the pandemic, while 17% did not; 60% were in the private sector and 40% worked in the public sector
According to The General Authority of Statistics in Saudi Arabia, the majority of Saudis live in three main housing typologies: villas, apartments, and traditional houses
Summary
On 30 January 2020, the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) director announced that the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a serious global issue, and WHO member states considered options to stop the spread of the virus [1,2]. On 24 March 2020, the Saudi Ministry of Interior requested the majority of employees to work remotely [3]. A qualitative study of local Saudis adapting to working and studying during the pandemic in April 2020 [4] showed that 83% of employees worked during the pandemic, while 17% did not; 60% were in the private sector and 40% worked in the public sector. A total of 64% of the overall sample indicated that they were somewhat satisfied with working from home. The study highlighted the positive and negative aspects; positives included staying focused, time and task management, and adapting to the crisis, whereas negatives included idleness and laziness, and the challenge of managing household tasks parallel to work [4]
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