ABSTRACT
PurposeThis study aims to understand how knowledge workers working from home during COVID-19 changed their views on physical work environments and working-from-home practices.Design/methodology/approachThis study conducted a survey targeting workers in the USA recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk. A total of 1,651 responses were collected and 648 responses were used for the analysis.FindingsThe perceived work-life balance improved during the pandemic compared to before, while the balance of physical boundaries between the workplace and home decreased. Workplace flexibility, environmental conditions of home offices and organizational supports are positively associated with productivity, satisfaction with working from home and work-life balance during the pandemic.Research limitations/implicationsWhile the strict traditional view of "showing” up in the office from Monday through Friday is likely on the decline, the hybrid workplace with flexibility can be introduced as some activities are not significantly affected by the work location, either at home-based or corporate offices. The results of this study also highlight the importance of organizations to support productivity and satisfaction in the corporate office as well as home. With the industry collaboration, future research of relatively large sample sizes and study sites, investigating workers' needs and adapted patterns of use in home-based and corporate offices, will help corporate real estate managers make decisions and provide some level of standardization of spatial efficiency and configurations of corporate offices as well as essential supports for home offices.Originality/valueThe pandemic-enforced working-from-home practices awaken the interdependence between corporate and home environments, how works are done and consequently, the role of the physical workplace. This study built a more in-depth understanding of how workers who were able to continue working from home during COVID-19 changed or not changed their views on physical work environments and working-from-home practices.
ABSTRACT
The spread of pandemics has adverse effects on the lives of people in various ways. For people who need to work in the office and other indoor environments, wearing a mask has become an essential precaution to reduce the spread of the virus and thereby the risk of disease transmission. Therefore, it is important to understand how wearing a mask will affect people while they are performing daily office work. This paper aims to investigate the effect of wearing a mask on the physiological responses and task performance of those who work in office environments during the pandemic period. The two most commonly used masks (i.e., cloth and surgical masks) are chosen for evaluation. The work engagement, mental workload, skin conductance level (SCL), heart rate (HR), as well as the overall performance of 20 subjects while they are completing simulated office tasks are collected and analyzed. Although the results vary across different individuals, they reveal that wearing a mask during a pandemic period will potentially reduce the mental workload and SCL of people for specific types of tasks. In addition, the task performance (correct number and correct rate) of the subjects is worse when wearing a mask, which is highly correlated to the results of the mental workload and SCL. However, there is no one-size-fits-all pattern to conclude the effect of wearing masks on work engagement and HR. This study provides a valuable reference for those who need to wear a mask while working. © 2022 Elsevier Ltd
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: With the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations embraced Work From Home (WFH). An important component of transitioning to WFH is the effect on workers, particularly related to their productivity and work experience. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to examine how worker-, workspace-, and work-related factors affected productivity and time spent at a workstation on a typical WFH day during the pandemic. METHODS: An online questionnaire was designed and administered to collect the necessary information. Data from 988 respondents were included in the analyses. RESULTS: Overall perception of productivity level among workers did not change relative to their in-office productivity before the pandemic. Female, older, and high-income workers were likely to report increased productivity. Productivity was positively influenced by better mental and physical health statuses, having a teenager, increased communication with coworkers and having a dedicated room for work. Number of hours spent at a workstation increased by approximately 1.5 hours during a typical WFH day. Longer hours were reported by individuals who had school age children, owned an office desk or an adjustable chair, and had adjusted their work hours. CONCLUSION: The findings highlight key factors for employers and employees to consider for improving the WFH experience.