Work engagement and its antecedents in remote work: A person-centered view

The aim of this study was to investigate characteristics associated with employees' ability to cope with the challenges of remote working as flexible work arrangements are predicted to constitute an increasingly pervasive model of work. More specifically, we investigated job resources specific to remote work and employees' strengths and behaviours that may be crucial for enhancing work engagement when working outside a traditional office environment. The present study adopted a person-centered approach to investigate work engagement and its antecedents. A sample of 455 employees completed a questionnaire four times across a ten-month period during the enforced remote work occasioned in response to the corona pandemic. The results revealed four distinct work engagement profiles. Most employees (75%) belong to profiles with either average or high levels of work engagement, which remained stable after a slight initial increase. A decrease was observed in 25% of those employees whose work engagement was already low at the study baseline. High levels of organisational support, the functionality of home as a work environment, job-related self-efficacy, and job crafting characterised the profile in which work engagement remained at a high level during the remote work. Implications for practice concerning well-being protective multi-locational work are presented.

Work-from-home physical ergonomics and trajectories of perceived work capacity among higher education employees due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate the developmental pathways of work capacity among higher education employees during the enforced remote work caused by COVID-19, and how physical ergonomics at home, and organizational factors predicts different pathways. Material and methods: A longitudinal web-survey was conducted with four measurement points (April 2020, to February 2021). Employees who responded to all surveys were included (n = 678). Of the respondents 71 % were women, 45 % teachers or research staff, 44% supporting staff and 11 % hired students. Perceived work capacity was measured similarly in all four times. Work stress, musculoskeletal pain, functionality of the home for work, and satisfaction with activities and support of the employer were measured at baseline. Latent class growth curve analysis was used to identify individuals into distinct trajectories. Multinomial logistic regression was used to determine the associations between individual, ergonomic, and organizational factors (predictors) at baseline and profile membership (outcome). Results and discussion: The work capacity for 75% of the employees was stable during remote working, 17 % had a favorable trend (very good-stable or increasing) of the work capacity and 8% had non-favorable (poor-stable or decreasing). Non-favorable work capacity was associated with poor physical workstation at home, dissatisfaction with the support from the organization, high work stress and musculoskeletal pain.