Telework: job satisfaction during work from home among IT professionals in India: a cross sectional study

Background: The untoward events of COVID-19 led to the enforcement of work from home (WFH) for nearly every wage earner across the globe. One of the several fields that saw its implications was the IT sector. We conducted the following study to understand how the IT techies have been affected by the shift in their workspace- from their cubicles at work to the tables at home and the implications of this shift on their general and mental health. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in January 2021. A Google form was circulated among IT professionals. Sample size was calculated by universal sampling technique. Data collected was entered in MS Excel and analysed using SPSS version 26. Results: Among the 47 received responses, the mean age group of the study sample was 20-30 years. 73.9% felt that personal obligations interrupted their work which led to increased frustration. There is also a rise in the incidences of backpain and eyestrain. The mean stress score of the study sample was 17.85±5.729 and though 80.9% felt they had a comfortable place at home to work, 62.52% of them wished to return to their workplace. Conclusions: Better innovative strategies need to be thought of and implemented to help employees have an efficient work-life balance.

Skills for managing work from home scale (SMWFHS) / Escala de habilidades para gestionar el teletrabajo en casa (EHGTC) / Escala de habilidades para gerenciar o teletrabalho em casa (EHGTC)

Abstract This study developed and tested the validity of a scale that measures skills for managing work from home, such as: informing change, searching for information, establishing priorities, setting and adapting goals, assessing work outputs, distributing tasks, and offering feedback. Participants were 2,038 managers from three Brazilian public organizations. Exploratory, confirmatory, and multigroup factor analyses revealed an 8-item unidimensional structure, excellent reliability indices, and goodness of fit, besides invariance for gender and age groups. The short scale permits testing research models with multiple variables, comparative (voluntary vs. compulsory telework), and cross-cultural studies.

Resumen Este estudio desarrolló y probó la validez de una escala que mide las habilidades para gestionar el trabajo desde casa, como: informar cambios, buscar información, establecer prioridades, establecer y adaptar metas, evaluar los resultados del trabajo, distribuir tareas y dar feedback. Participaron 2.038 directivos de tres organizaciones públicas brasileñas. Los análisis factoriales exploratorios, confirmatorios y multigrupo revelaron una estructura unifactorial de 8 ítems, excelentes índices de confiabilidad y bondad de ajuste, además de invariancia para género y rangos etarios. La escala corta permite probar modelos de investigación con múltiples variables, estudios comparativos (teletrabajo voluntario vs. obligatorio) e interculturales.

Resumo Este estudo desenvolveu e testou a validade de uma escala que mede as habilidades para gerir o trabalho desde casa, como: relatar mudanças, buscar informações, definir prioridades, definir e adaptar metas, avaliar os resultados do trabalho, distribuir tarefas e fornecer feedback. Participaram 2.038 gestores de três organizações públicas brasileiras. As análises fatoriais exploratórias, confirmatórias e multigrupo revelaram uma estrutura unifatorial de oito itens, excelentes índices de confiabilidade e qualidade de ajuste, bem como invariância para gênero e faixas etárias. A escala curta permite testar modelos de pesquisa com múltiplas variáveis, estudos comparativos (teletrabalho voluntário versus compulsório) e estudos interculturais.

Prevalence of stress and burnout among information technology professionals during COVID-19 pandemic due to work from home situation

Background: To prevent the transmission of COVID-19 infection, lockdown and social distancing was imposed across various countries. The people working in the information technology (IT) sector started working remotely. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of stress and burnout among the IT professionals due to sudden transition to work from home situation. Methods: In the present cross-sectional study an online questionnaire was used for data collection from the software professionals who worked from home for a minimum duration of 1 year during the pandemic. The study sample was collected using convenience sampling and sample size attained was 40. The data analysis was done with statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) version 20.0. Percentages, means and standard deviations (SD) were calculated. For analytical purpose Chi-square test was used to measure the significance. Results: The study population consisted of 24 (60%) males and 16 (40%) females. The mean of the years of experience was 10.5 years (SD=5.5). 47.5% of the study population agreed that they worked up to 8 hours and 12 hours per day. 57.5% reported of finding work from home more stressful due to increase in responsibilities of household as well as child care. 87.5% developed moderate stress and 47.5% experienced moderate burnout due to personal issues. Conclusions: To conclude, the prevalence of stress due to work from home situation was much higher than burnout among the IT professionals. Although they had the perks of reduction in travel time, the other responsibilities of increased domestic workload caused considerable stress.

Obesity awareness and its relationship to sociodemographic characteristics of Filipino adults / Journal of the ASEAN Federation of Endocrine Societies

Objective@#Awareness and substantial understanding of obesity are essential components in its prevention and treatment. This study aimed to determine the degree of obesity awareness and its relationship to various sociodemographic characteristics among Filipino adults working from home (WFH).@*Methodology@#This is a cross-sectional survey conducted in Metro Cebu, Philippines. Included were non-healthcare WFH professionals aged 18-64. Researcher-made Obesity Awareness Questionnaire (OAC-20) was used.@*Results@#A total of 458 employees participated in the study; mean age was 30.33 years (SD=6.96), mostly female (71.40%) and majority single (77.07%). The mean obesity awareness score was 79.18% (SD=9.02). Age (p=0.198), BMI (p=0.397), work hours/day (p=0.101), and hours of physical activity/day (p=0.458) were not associated with obesity awareness. Similarly, male vs. female (p=0.515), and single vs. married respondents (p=0.629) did not differ significantly in terms of average scores. However, higher educational attainment (p=0.044) and higher socio-economic status (p=0.002) were significantly associated with higher obesity awareness scores.@*Conclusion@#The surveyed WFH adults were aware of the majority of the important concepts on obesity. Educational attainment and socio-economic status were significant determinants of obesity awareness.

A descriptive cross-sectional study on the motivation of work-from-home office workers in the National Capital Region / The Health Sciences Journal

INTRODUCTION@#The landscape of work has changed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic as more companies shifted from face-to-face to the work-from-home (WFH) setup. This change has affected several aspects of human life especially the motivation to WFH. The study aimed to determine the motivation of WFH among office workers in the National Capital Region (NCR) from March 2020 to February 2022@*METHODS@#Using a descriptive cross-sectional study design, an online survey of WFH office workers around the NCR, Philippines was conducted. A 26-item questionnaire on motivation covering dimensions of availability (flexibility), safety (work-life balance), and meaningfulness (work performance) was used. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 24.@*RESULTS@#A total of 252 respondents were included in the study, with a majority identifying as females aged 21 to 30, never married, and college graduates. Additionally, respondents reported having one to five years of work experience and were employed in professional/technical/managerial fields. Regarding the impact of remote work, the findings indicated that most individuals who worked from home (WFH) felt motivated by this setup due to its positive effects on availability, time and cost savings from reduced commuting, and the flexibility it provided for managing their schedules according to personal preferences. Furthermore, in terms of safety and conducive work environment, WFH office workers expressed agreement that the remote work setup contributed to a favorable work environment, leading to increased job satisfaction. This setup allowed them to effectively balance work responsibilities with personal and family commitments. The study also revealed that WFH office workers perceived a sense of meaningfulness in their work, as they felt trusted and valued by their employers. This sentiment contributed to their overall well-being, both physically and mentally@*CONCLUSION@#Work-from-home office workers are generally always motivated in terms of availability (flexibility), safety (work-life balance) and meaningfulness (work performance).

Construcción y propiedades psicométricas de tres escalas para evaluar la sobrecarga de trabajo desde casa durante el covid-19 / Construction and psychometric properties of three scales to evaluate Work Overload during confinement due to covid-19

Resumen Introducción: La sobrecarga de trabajo es uno de los factores psicosociales más investigados, pero aún falta indagar y contar con evidencia empírica que muestre las repercusiones de realizar el trabajo desde casa, al ser esta una nueva forma de organización laboral por el confinamiento derivado del covid-19, donde las actividades laborales se entremezclan con otros roles asumidos en casa. Objetivo: Desarrollar y analizar las propiedades psicométricas de la Escala de Sobrecarga de Trabajo desde Casa derivado del covid-19, la Escala Sobrecarga de Trabajo y Cuidado de Otros durante el confinamiento por covid-19 y la Escala Sobrecarga de Trabajo y Apoyo Escolar durante el confinamiento por covid-19. Método: Se trató de un diseño no experimental y transeccional, aplicando los instrumentos construidos. Participaron 321 encuestados residentes en México, la media de edad fue de 36 años, el 76,6 % mujeres y el 23,4 % hombres. Los participantes se seleccionaron de manera no aleatoria en un muestreo por conveniencia. Resultados: Las tres escalas obtuvieron índices de Alfa de Cronbach que señalan buena consistencia. Los análisis factoriales, exploratorio por componentes principales y confirmatorio por modelamiento de ecuaciones estructurales, indicaron un buen ajuste del modelo en las tres escalas. Conclusiones: Las tres escalas confirmaron unidimensionalidad e indicadores psicométricos adecuados, se recomienda su uso para evaluar la sobrecarga cualitativa de trabajo desde casa, por llevar a cabo la tarea del cuidado de otros y derivada del apoyo escolar.

Abstract Introduction: Work overload is one of the most investigated psychosocial factors, but there is still a lack of research and empirical evidence showing the repercussions of performing work activities from home, since this is a new form of work organization because of the confinement measures due to covid-19, where work activities are entangled with other roles adopted at home. Objective: To develop and analyze the psychometric properties of the covid-19 Work Overload from Home Scale, the covid-19 Work Overload and Care of Others during Confinement Scale, and the covid-19 Work Overload and School Support during Confinement Scale. Method: It was a non-experimental and transectional design, applying the developed instruments. A total of 321 respondents resident in Mexico participated, the average age was 36 years, 76,6 % were women and 23,4 % were men. Results: The three scales analyzed obtained Cronbach's Alpha values that indicate satisfactory consistency. Exploratory factorial analysis by principal components and confirmatory factorial analysis by structural equation modeling indicated good model fit at all three scales. Conclusions: The three scales confirmed unidimensionality and adequate psychometric indicators, which is why their use is recommended to evaluate the qualitative work overload from home, for carrying out the task of caring for others and derived from school support.

Fatiga laboral en personas que realizaron trabajo en casa en tiempos de confinamiento por COVID-19 / Work fatigue in people who worked at home during times of confinement by COVID-19

Introducción:El aislamiento social por Covid-19 llevó a muchos colaboradores a realizar trabajo en casa y asimismo a experimentar diversas sensaciones que conjugadas con factores laborales, demandas físicas, emocionales y/o mentales, presentaron fatiga laboral,y por ende consecuencias en su salud. Objetivo:El estudio se centró en identificar síntomas relacionados a la fatiga laboral en personas con modalidad de trabajo en casa por COVID-19. Materiales y métodos:Estudio cuantitativo con un enfoque descriptivo-transversal. Se aplicó de manera virtual una escalade fatiga laboral,bajo consentimiento informado a 511 participantes que realizaban trabajo en casa. Resultados:De acuerdo con los resultados se evidenció que el 47,7% experimentaron un nivel de fatiga medio, en dimensiones relacionadas con carga física, carga mental, efectos psicofisiológicos y percepción de cambios en las dinámicas de trabajo; experiencias negativas asociadas a la insatisfacción laboral y afectación de la salud. Por otro lado, se identificaron experiencias positivas: compartir en familia, autonomía laboral y aprendizajes.Conclusiones:Se evidenció la presencia de fatiga laboral en más de la mitad de la muestra, manifestada en síntomas asociados a las diferentes dimensiones,percibidos de manera regular por los participantes,que de no ser tratados puede llegar a afectarles la calidad de vida.

Introduction:The social isolation triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic forced employees to work from home and experience diverse feelings, which together with labor factors as well as physical, emotional, and/or mental demands, led to work fatigue and in turn, to health consequences. Objective:This study was aimed at identifying symptoms related to labor fatigue in people working from home due to COVID-19. Materials and methods: A quantitative study with a descriptive-cross sectional approach. Data was collected from 511participants who worked at home using a labor fatigue virtual scale and the informed consent. Results:47.7% of participants experienced a medium fatigue level, in dimensions such as physical load, mental load, psycho-physiological effects, and perceptionof changes in job dynamics. Likewise, they reported negative experiences associated with job dissatisfaction and health issues. On the other hand, positive events were identified, such as sharing time with family, job autonomy, and learning experiences. Conclusions: Work related fatigue was evidenced in half of the participants, which was expressed through symptoms associated with different dimensions. They were perceived frequently and may affect the quality of life of participants if these symptoms are not treated properly.

Habilidades para teletrabalho em casa: construção e evidências de validade da escala / Skills for working from home: construction and validation of the scale / Habilidades para el teletrabajo en casa: construcción y evidencias de validad de la escala

Muitos trabalhadores migraram para o teletrabalho durante a pandemia de COVID-19. A realização das tarefas integralmente em casa trouxe desafios, principalmente àqueles que não possuíam experiência anterior com a modalidade, como a conciliação trabalho-família e o uso de tecnologias digitais. Este estudo relata o desenvolvimento e as evidências de validade psicométrica da Escala de Habilidades para o Teletrabalho em Casa (EHTC). A pesquisa foi aplicada a 7.608 servidores de diferentes órgãos públicos brasileiros. Realizaram-se análises estatísticas descritivas, fatoriais exploratórias e confirmatórias e de confiabilidade. O instrumento possui uma estrutura empírica bifatorial que avalia habilidades para o balanceamento entre trabalho e outras atividades (soft skills) e para utilização de recursos digitais nas interações de trabalho (hard skills). A EHTC pode ser usada para identificar a adaptação e o preparo para o teletrabalho em casa e investigar associações entre essas habilidades e outros indicadores.

Many workers migrated to teleworking during the COVID-19 pandemic. Performing work tasks entirely at home brought challenges, especially for those who had no previous experience with the modality, such as work-family conciliation and the use of digital technologies. This study reports the development and evidence of psychometric validity of the Skills for Working from Home scale (SWHS). The survey was applied to 7,608 government employees from Brazilian public agencies. Descriptive statistical analyses, and exploratory, confirmatory, and reliability factor analyses were performed. The instrument has a bifactorial empirical structure that assesses skills for balancing work and other activities (soft skills) and skills for using digital communication resources in work interactions (hard skills). The SWHS can be used to identify the adaptation and preparation for working from home, as well as to investigate possible associations between these skills and other indicators.

Muchos trabajadores migraron para el teletrabajo durante la pandemia de COVID-19. Realizar las tareas íntegralmente en casa trajo desafíos, especialmente para quienes no tenían experiencia previa con la modalidad, como la conciliación trabajo-familia y el uso de tecnologías digitales. Este estudio reporta el desarrollo y las evidencias de validad psicométrica de la Escala de Habilidades para el Teletrabajo en Casa (EHTC). La investigación se aplicó a 7.608 funcionarios de organos públicos brasileños. Se realizaron análisis estadísticos descriptivos, factoriales exploratorios, confirmatorios y de confiabilidad. El instrumento posee una estructura empírica bifactorial que evalúa habilidades para equilibrar el trabajo y otras actividades (soft skills) y para el uso de recursos digitales en las interacciones laborales (hard skills). La EHTC puede ser utilizada para identificar la adaptación y preparación para el teletrabajo en casa e investigar posibles asociaciones entre estas habilidades y otros indicadores.

Changes in Work and Occupational Behavior in a Brazilian Sample During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Study

The COVID-19 pandemic led to changes in occupational behaviors, affecting millions of workers. This study aimed to assess changes in various perceptions about work at the beginning of the pandemic in Brazil, and six months later. 702 individuals of both sexes (566 females, 80.62%), aged between 16 and 75 years (M=41.8; SD=13.5), residents in 24 different states of Brazil (most from the Southeast region, 59.26%) participated in this research and answered an online survey about their work experience during the pandemic at two different timepoints. The questionnaire included questions about increased/decreased productivity, fear of contamination by COVID-19 at work, need for going out to work, performing voluntary work, waiting for the return of their work/study activities, previous/current experience working-from-home, use of video conference programs, performing voluntary work to fight COVID-19, job loss and incidence of health problems that prevented the participant from carrying out daily/work/study activities. The results indicated that workers experienced new ways of performing their activities, changed their perceptions about their productivity, how/where they worked, and how they felt about their routine, although the majority of variables remained stable between timepoints.(AU)

A pandemia da COVID-19 resultou em mudanças nos comportamentos ocupacionais, afetando milhões de trabalhadores. Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar as mudanças em diferentes percepções sobre o trabalho no início da pandemia no Brasil e seis meses depois. 702 indivíduos de ambos os sexos (566 sexo feminino, 80,62%), com idade entre 16 e 75 anos (M = 41,8; DP = 13,5), residentes em 24 diferentes estados do Brasil (maioria da região Sudeste, 59,26%) participaram e responderam a uma pesquisa online sobre sua experiência de trabalho durante a pandemia em dois momentos diferentes. O questionário incluía questões sobre aumento/diminuição da produtividade, medo de contaminação pelo COVID-19 no trabalho, necessidade de sair para trabalhar, realização de trabalho voluntário, espera pelo retorno de suas atividades de trabalho/estudo, experiência anterior/atual de trabalho remoto, utilização de programas de videoconferência, realização de trabalho voluntário de combate ao COVID-19, perda de emprego e incidência de problemas de saúde que o impediram de realizar atividades cotidianas/laborais/de estudo. Os resultados indicaram que os trabalhadores vivenciaram novas formas de realizar suas atividades, mudaram suas percepções sobre sua produtividade, como/onde trabalhavam e como se sentiam em relação ao seu cotidiano, apesar da maioria das variáveis se manterem estáveis entre os dois momentos.(AU)

La pandemia del COVID-19 resultó en cambios en los comportamientos ocupacionales, afectando millones de trabajadores. Este estudio tiene como objetivo evaluar los cambios en diferentes percepciones sobre el trabajo en el inicio de la pandemia en Brasil e seis meses después. 702 individuos de ambos sexos (566 mujeres, 80,62%), con edades entre los 16 y 75 años (M=41,8; DP=13,5) 702 individuos de ambos sexos (566 mujeres, 80,62%), con edades entre 16 y 75 años (M = 41,8; DT = 13,5), residentes en 24 estados diferentes de Brasil (la mayoría de la región Sudeste, 59,26%) participaron en esta investigación y respondieron a cuestiones sobre su experiencia de trabajo durante la pandemia en dos momentos distintos. El cuestionario on-line incluía preguntas sobre aumento/disminución de la productividad, miedo a la contaminación por COVID-19 en el trabajo, necesidad de salir a trabajar, realizar trabajo voluntario, esperar el regreso de sus actividades laborales/de estudio, experiencia previa/actual trabajando home office, uso de programas de videoconferencia, realización de trabajo voluntario para combatir COVID-19, pérdida de empleo e incidencia de problemas de salud que impedían al participante realizar actividades diarias/laborales/de estudio. Los resultados indicaron que los trabajadores vivenciaron nuevas formas de realizar sus actividades, cambiaron sus percepciones sobre su productividad, como/donde trabajaban y como se sentían en relación a su cotidiano, aunque la mayoría de las variables se mantuvieron estables entre los dos momentos.(AU)

Health promoting lifestyle behaviors of university employees in work-from-home arrangement during the COVID-19 pandemic

@#Since the COVID-19 emerged, a work-from-home (WFH) arrangement was implemented as an infection containment measure among employees. This lifestyle change is bound to affect health-promoting behaviors. The study aims to determine the health-promoting lifestyle behaviors of university employees in a WFH arrangement during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study utilized a quantitative descriptive research design. After consecutive sampling of employees of a state university in Manila, the response rate was 33.1% (395 out of 1, 195 eligible respondents), but only 31.8% or 380 respondents completed the validated online questionnaire through Google Forms™ from August to October 2021. The instrument was based on the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile (HPLP) survey by Walker and Hill-Polerecky (1996). Descriptive data analysis was done via IBM® SPSS® Statistics v22. Majority were females (70.3%) and single (51.8%). Approximately 70% were staying at home with their family. The mean scores for the subscales of inner development, interpersonal relations, and stress management were 3.08 (SD±.24), 3.00 (SD±.30), and 2.70 (SD±.30), respectively. These were observed to be higher than other HPLP subsets. Subscales garnering the lowest mean scores were physical activity at 2.32 (SD±.21), nutrition at 2.68 (SD±.31), and health responsibility at 2.56 (SD±.12). The mean HPLP score of faculty members was the highest at 2.74 (SD±.36) as compared to administrative staff and research extension and professional staff (REPS) with mean scores of 2.73 (SD±.36) and 2.71 (SD±.39), respectively. Overall HPLPscores suggested that the majority (60.8%) practice “good” health-promoting lifestyle behaviors. These findings indicate that the WFH arrangement allows employees to develop social and coping skills while staying in their residences. Whereas limitations to opportunities for a more active lifestyle, availability of nutritious food, and access to health care also contribute to the low HPLP scores. Health promotion and protection strategies such as nurse-led health programs must be instituted to improve and develop the knowledge, skills, and attitude among employees working from home in the aspects of nutrition, physical activity, and health responsibility. Nurses must also use this opportunity to promote occupational health among employees through lifestyle programs in coordination with universities and colleges or other workplaces of similar nature. Health programs must capitalize on the increase in the utilization of social media and the Internet during the pandemic. There is a need for further research to examine associations between the variables in various institutions and settings.

Radiology residents' perception of working and training from home during covid-19 pandemic

Introduction: The spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic disrupted the personal and profes-sional lives of many throughout the world. To mitigate the spread of the virus, Addis Ababa University introduced an online teaching/learning method which minimized the physical engagement of faculty members and residents. Online teaching is a major shift in the history of the country's oldest and largest university. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate how trainees managed to cope up with the sudden changes in the teach-ing/learning system, and assess the ensuing satisfaction with the new method of teaching/learning. Methods: Descriptive research design was implemented and analysis of variance (ANOVA) and T-tests were used to test hypotheses. Analysis of data collected from 58 radiology residents found that, the residents appreciated the participatory nature of the newly introduced online learning method. Results: The results showed that residents have accepted the new teaching/learning method and are satisfied with it. Furthermore, tests of hypotheses revealed that there is no significant difference in level of satisfaction between female and male residents as well as throughout the three years of radiology residency training. Conclusion: The new method of teaching/learning has a positive acceptance among trainees and there was high level of satisfaction with the new method. Poor internet network, reduced in-person mentoring, failure to make engaging discussions due to large number of participants were the common challenges to online teaching in the setting.