Making homeworking work: preferences and experiences of homeworkers during COVID-19
Citation:
Diane Pelly, Liam Delaney and Orla Doyle, Making homeworking work: preferences and experiences of homeworkers during COVID-19, Geary Institute Public Policy Response to COVID-19 series ? ?Making homeworking work? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrfWbPJ8bNo&feature=youtu.be, Geary Institute and virtual, 6/8/2020, 2020Download Item:
Abstract:
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced a large section of the global labour force who were
working in centralised locations to suddenly switch to homeworking. This report uses
primary longitudinal data from two surveys of 808 full-time workers in the UK which were
conducted before (Nov 2019-Feb 2020) and during (May-June 2020) the period of COVID-
19 restrictions in order to examine the impact of COVID-19 and homeworking on workers’
homeworking preferences and on their self-rated levels of stress, well-being and
productivity.
Just under three-quarters of the workers in our sample who are still engaged in paid work
are now working from home full-time, compared to 3% of workers prior to COVID-19. The
lack of a commute is the most cited benefit of homeworking (72% of respondents), while
missing socialising with co-workers is the most cited disadvantage (56%). While 84% of
current homeworkers wish to continue working from home, 58% favour a ‘hybrid’
homeworking option over full-time homeworking. Just under half of all workers report
diminished productivity due to COVID-19, with workers who have poor self-rated mental
health or low self-control particularly badly affected. The effects of homeworking during
COVID-19 on the productivity of homeworkers is mixed, with 39% of homeworkers
reporting producing less work when homeworking and 35% reporting producing more
work. While there is variation around preferences for homeworking supports, the most
frequently requested support (55% of current homeworkers) is a better physical work set-
up at home.
COVID-19 has had a relatively minor effect on average work-related affective well-being
or job satisfaction across the entire sample. This may reflect the nature of the sample
which is comprised of workers in full-time employment prior to COVID-19, who report
relatively low levels of physical exposure to COVID-19. Alternatively, workers may have
already adjusted to the ‘new normal’. There is, however, evidence of heterogeneity.
Homeworkers have experienced a significant increase in job satisfaction during COVID-19
and report significantly higher job satisfaction than non-homeworkers, in particular
homeworkers who are non-parents, single, who have poor self-rated mental health or
who score highly on Big-5 neuroticism.
Our results have important implications for public bodies and organisations seeking to
utilise homeworking longer term. They reveal considerably heterogeneity around
homeworking preferences and experiences and highlight the need to capture workers’
real-life experiences of homeworking to ensure that labour deployment plans and
homeworking supports maximise worker well-being, while preserving productivity and
profitability.
URI:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrfWbPJ8bNo&feature=youtu.behttps://publicpolicy.ie/downloads/papers/2020/Making_Homeworking_Work_Preferences_and_Experiences_of_FullTime_Workers_During_Covid19_.pdf
http://hdl.handle.net/2262/102083
Sponsor
Grant Number
Irish Research Council for Humanities and Social Sciences (IRCHSS)
GOIPG/2020/59
Author's Homepage:
http://people.tcd.ie/pellyd
Author: Pelly, Diane
Other Titles:
Geary Institute Public Policy Response to COVID-19 series 'Making homeworking work'Type of material:
Conference PaperURI:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrfWbPJ8bNo&feature=youtu.behttps://publicpolicy.ie/downloads/papers/2020/Making_Homeworking_Work_Preferences_and_Experiences_of_FullTime_Workers_During_Covid19_.pdf
http://hdl.handle.net/2262/102083
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Availability:
Full text availableKeywords:
COVID-19, Well-being, Remote Working, Homeworking, ProductivitySubject (TCD):
COVID-19 , PRODUCTIVITY , SURVEY RESEARCH , Stated Preference Analysis , WFH , WORKER WELLNESS , Work Engagement , lockdownMetadata
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