Association between work from home and health-related productivity loss among Korean employees.

Background: After the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, the widespread adoption of working from home, or teleworking, has prompted extensive research regarding its effects on work productivity and the physical and mental health of employees. In this context, our study aimed to investigate the association between working from home and health-related productivity loss (HRPL). Methods: An online survey was conducted with a sample of 1,078 workers. HRPL was estimated by the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire: General Health version. Workers that have been working from home in the last 6 months were categorized into the "work from home" group. Generalized linear models were used to compare the mean difference of HRPL between "work from home" and "commuters" group. Stratified analyses were conducted based on various factors including gender, age, income level, occupation, education level, previous diagnosis of chronic disease, presence of preschool children, living in studio apartment, living alone, commuting time, working hours and regular exercise. Results: The overall HRPL was higher in the "work from home" group than in the "commuters" group with a mean difference of 4.05 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.09-8.01). In the stratified analyses, significant differences were observed in workers with chronic diseases (mean difference: 8.23, 95% CI: 0.38-16.09), who do not live alone (mean difference: 4.84, 95% CI: 0.35-9.33), and workers that do not exercise regularly (mean difference: 4.96, 95% CI: 0.12-9.80). Conclusions: Working from home is associated with an increased HRPL in the Korean working population, especially among those with chronic diseases, those who do not live alone, and those who do not exercise regularly.

Female managers' organizational leadership during telework: experiences of job demands, control and support.

The frequent use of telework during the COVID -19 pandemic has created a more challenging work situation for managers who need to lead effectively in the virtual space, this especially concerns female managers. Therefor it is of importance to investigate female managers' experiences of job related demands, control and support within this work context. Accordingly, we investigated female managers' experiences of demands, control and support in their organizational leadership during telework. The present study used a deductive, theory-driven, qualitative approach with predetermined themes defined within the demand-control-support model. Data were collected by semi-structured interviews. The female managers had at least 50% of their working hours as telework. The results showed that the female managers experienced demands in terms of hard, fast or even excessive work in order to be available and solve complex problems, and control as varied work content, new learning, planning and decision freedom. Support was experienced in terms of attentive superior manager, good cooperation and helpfulness among colleagues. Theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed in terms of telework situation for female managers.

Telework and 24-hour movement behaviours among adults living in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between work location and movement behaviours (physical activity [PA], screen time, sleep) and adherence to the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines (24-H Guidelines) among Canadian workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Using cross-sectional data from the 2021 Canadian Community Health Survey (n = 10,913 working adults 18-75 years), primary work location was categorized as: worked outside the home at a fixed location (fixed workplace), worked at home (telework), and worked outside the home at no fixed location (non-fixed workplace). Recreational, transportation and occupational/household PA, as well as leisure screen time and sleep duration were self-reported. Logistic regression assessed associations between work location and adherence to movement behaviour recommendations, adjusting for covariates. RESULTS: Compared to a fixed workplace, those teleworking reported more recreational PA (21.1 vs 17.0 min/day, p < 0.0001) and sleep (7.2 vs 7.1 h/night, p = 0.026) and were more likely to meet sleep duration recommendations (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.08-1.51) and the 24-H Guidelines (aOR = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.04-1.51). Compared to fixed workplaces, those at non-fixed workplaces reported more occupational PA (62.7 vs 32.8 min/day, p < 0.0001) and less leisure screen time (2.5 vs 2.7 h/day, p = 0.021), and were more likely to meet the PA recommendation (aOR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.15-1.85) and the 24-H Guidelines (aOR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.09-1.75). CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that adherence to the 24-H Guidelines varies by work location, and work location should be considered when developing strategies to promote healthy movement behaviours. Future studies could explore hybrid work arrangements, and longitudinal study designs.

The impact mechanism of telework on job performance: a cross-level moderation model of digital leadership.

Traditional enterprise management believes that telecommuting activities are out of the enterprise's control, which may reduce staff performance. We use the extension of job demand-resource theory and work embeddedness theory to develop and test the intermediary mechanism of embedded in and out of work in telework. Moreover, it judges the mediating effect of job embeddedness on telecommuting → job performance. With the help of family conflict theory, we have revealed the possible performance changes in telework and the impact of family on telework. We predict embedding outside of work may reduce job performance. However, this worry will not happen under the adjustment of digital leadership and job insecurity. We collected survey data from 36 enterprise teams and 328 members. We have confirmed that work performance will not be reduced by telecommuting. Digital leadership magnifies the embedding of telecommuting resources into employees' work to a certain extent and inhibits the embedding problem outside work caused by telecommuting requirements. The telecommuting requirement may become a positive factor for employees staying home and avoiding workplace conflicts. We confirmed the inhibitory effect of job embeddedness on turnover rate and expanded the antecedent model of job embeddedness theory.

Boundary violations and university teachers' well-being during mandatory telework: Recovery's role and gender differences.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to explore the role of psychological detachment from work in the relationship of boundary violations and flourishing, as well as gender differences among university teachers during mandatory telework. We developed and tested a moderate mediation model where psychological detachment was the explanatory mechanism of the relationship between boundary violations with flourishing and using gender as the moderating variable. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 921 Brazilian university teachers (mean age 44 years, 681 women and 240 men) during mandatory telework. Multigroup analysis and moderate mediation were performed using Mplus 7.2. RESULTS: Psychological detachment mediated the relationship between boundary violations (in both directions) and flourishing and work-to-family violations were more harmful to women' recovery instead family-to-work violations were more harmful to men' recovery, among university teachers during mandatory telework. CONCLUSION: By focusing on boundary violations in the context of mandatory telework, the study sheds light on the impact of blurred boundaries between work and personal life. This contributes both literature on work-life balance and literature recovery. Moreover, it helps to understand a crisis setting of remote work. Further, the study's findings regarding gender differences highlight how men and women may experience and cope with boundary violations differently during mandatory telework, supporting future specific interventions across genders.

COVID-19 mortality among Massachusetts workers and the association with telework ability, 2020.

BACKGROUND: Working outside the home put some workers at risk for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) exposure and might partly explain elevated coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mortality rates in the first months of the pandemic in certain groups of Massachusetts workers. To further investigate this premise, we examined COVID-19 mortality among Massachusetts workers, with a specific focus on telework ability based on occupation. METHODS: COVID-19-associated deaths between January 1 and December 31, 2020 among Massachusetts residents aged 18-64 years were analyzed. Deaths were categorized into occupation-based quadrants (Q) of telework ability. Age-adjusted rates were calculated by key demographics, industry, occupation, and telework quadrant using American Community Survey workforce estimates as denominators. Rate ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals comparing rates for quadrants with workers unlikely able to telework (Q2, Q3, Q4) to that among those likely able to telework (Q1) were calculated. RESULTS: The overall age-adjusted COVID-19-associated mortality rate was 26.4 deaths per 100,000 workers. Workers who were male, Black non-Hispanic, Hispanic, born outside the US, and with lower than a high school education level experienced the highest rates among their respective demographic groups. The rate varied by industry, occupation and telework quadrant. RRs comparing Q2, Q3, and Q4 to Q1 were 0.99 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.8-1.2), 3.2 (95% CI: 2.6-3.8) and 2.5 (95% CI: 2.0-3.0), respectively. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest a positive association between working on-site and COVID-19-associated mortality. Work-related factors likely contributed to COVID-19 among Massachusetts workers and should be considered in future studies of COVID-19 and similar diseases.

What might working from home mean for the geography of work and commuting in the Greater Golden Horseshoe, Canada?

The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the precarity of urban society, illustrating both opportunities and challenges. Teleworking rates increased dramatically during the pandemic and may be sustained over the long term. For transportation planners, these changes belie the broader questions of how the geography of work and commuting will change based on pandemic-induced shifts in teleworking and what this will mean for society and policymaking. This study focuses on these questions by using survey data (n = 2580) gathered in the autumn of 2021 to explore the geography of current and prospective telework. The study focuses on the Greater Golden Horseshoe, the mega-region in Southern Ontario, representing a fifth of Canadians. Survey data document telework practices before and during the pandemic, including prospective future telework practices. Inferential models are used to develop working-from-home scenarios which are allocated spatially based on respondents' locations of work and residence. Findings indicate that telework appears to be poised to increase most relative to pre-pandemic levels around downtown Toronto based on locations of work, but increases in teleworking are more dispersed based on employees' locations of residence. Contrary to expectations by many, teleworking is not significantly linked to home-work disconnect - suggesting that telework is poised to weaken the commute-housing trade-off embedded in bid rent theory. Together, these results portend a poor outlook for downtown urban agglomeration economies but also more nuanced impacts than simply inducing sprawl.

The privilege of working from home and health disparities during the covid-19 pandemic in major American cities.

Working from home (WFH) has been adopted as a key mitigation strategy in the COVID-19 pandemic; yet few research has studied its impact on pandemic outcomes. Using multiple sources of data including cellphone data and online survey during the pandemic, this study investigates the effect of WFH on intra-city health disparities during the COVID-19 pandemic in American cities. Pandemic data for zip code tabulation areas and cellphone mobility data for census block groups in New York City (NYC), Chicago, and Philadelphia are converted to census tract level, which are then merged with 2019 census data. WFH is measured with the proportion of workers who potentially can telework based on employment composition in census tracts and percentages of jobs in each industry that actually WFH during the pandemic. Results show that while infection and death rates are higher in NYC, intra-city disparities in pandemic outcomes are more pronounced in Philadelphia. Poisson regressions show a negative association between WFH and COVID-19 infection and death rates in NYC and Chicago, which is weakened by increased time spent at home during the pandemic and in minority neighborhoods (in NYC). In Philadelphia, WFH is barely relevant for infection rates but has a marginally positive association with death rates, which is also moderated by the time spent at home. This study demonstrates the relative effectiveness of WFH in mitigating pandemic outcomes and underscores the intersectionality between WFH and race/ethnicity and resident behaviors. It provides important policy implications for future pandemic mitigation.

The impact of remote work using mobile information and communication technologies on physical health: a systematic review.

Remote e-working with information and communication technology (ICT) has long been on the rise, with its implementation accelerated by mandatory working from home regulations during the COVID-19 pandemic. This systematic literature review summarises the influencing factors of ICT-based remote e-working (device types, duration of use, user interfaces, etc.) on the physical health (musculoskeletal system and eyes) of knowledge workers. A search in four electronic databases and a manual search in four German journals resulted in 21 articles being included in this review. A bias analysis was conducted for all articles. Unfavourable postures, inappropriate working devices and certain environmental factors may cause a range of physical complaints, even after comparably short periods of time. Mostly, these complaints are greater compared to those experienced when working on a fully equipped stationary computer. Therefore, remote e-working requires careful planning, awareness, and the willingness to embrace working situations that counteract these problems.

Different factors associated with remote e-working may influence physical health. This systematic literature review found that unfavourable postures, inappropriate working devices and certain environmental factors may cause physical complaints, even after short periods of time. Mostly, these complaints are greater compared to those experienced when working on a stationary computer.

Positive and negative aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic among a diverse sample of US adults: an exploratory mixed-methods analysis of online survey data.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound social and economic impact across the United States due to the lockdowns and consequent changes to everyday activities in social spaces. METHODS: The COVID-19's Unequal Racial Burden (CURB) survey was a nationally representative, online survey of 5,500 American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African American, Latino (English- and Spanish-speaking), Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, White, and multiracial adults living in the U.S. For this analysis, we used data from the 1,931 participants who responded to the 6-month follow-up survey conducted between 8/16/2021-9/9/2021. As part of the follow-up survey, participants were asked "What was the worst thing about the pandemic that you experienced?" and "Was there anything positive in your life that resulted from the pandemic?" Verbatim responses were coded independently by two coders using open and axial coding techniques to identify salient themes, definitions of themes, and illustrative quotes, with reconciliation across coders. Chi-square tests were used to estimate the association between sociodemographics and salient themes. RESULTS: Commonly reported negative themes among participants reflected disrupted lifestyle/routine (27.4%), not seeing family and friends (9.8%), and negative economic impacts (10.0%). Positive themes included improved relationships (16.9%), improved financial situation (10.1%), and positive employment changes (9.8%). Differences in themes were seen across race-ethnicity, gender, and age; for example, adults ≥ 65 years old, compared to adults 18-64, were more likely to report disrupted routine/lifestyle (37.6% vs. 24.2%, p < 0.001) as a negative aspect of the pandemic, and Spanish-speaking Latino adults were much more likely to report improved relationships compared to other racial-ethnic groups (31.1% vs. 14.8-18.6%, p = 0.03). DISCUSSION: Positive and negative experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic varied widely and differed across race-ethnicity, gender, and age. Future public health interventions should work to mitigate negative social and economic impacts and facilitate posttraumatic growth associated with pandemics.

Organizational and occupational health issues with working remotely during the pandemic: a scoping review of remote work and health.

BACKGROUND: Stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 global pandemic created unprecedented challenges for workers whose work was transferred to the home setting. Little is presently known about the benefits and the challenges associated with global remote work on well-being and mental health, work-life balance, job satisfaction, productivity, home office adaptability, and gender equality. METHODS: A scoping review of PubMed/Medline was undertaken in October 2021 to better understand these broad dimensions associated with remote worker health, well-being, and the home office workspace. The review focused on white-collar workers who undertook remote work during each of the lockdown waves from March 2020 to 2021. RESULTS: A total of 62 studies were included in the review, which spanned Asia, North America, South America, and Europe. Overall, workers seemed to enjoy remote work, but productivity varied. The main setbacks associated with remote work included feelings of isolation and loneliness, which negatively influenced well-being. Social support from management and contact with colleagues mitigated this. Leadership style also influenced remote worker well-being. Overall, women suffered from lower levels of remote work well-being and productivity, especially if they had children. The home office and its adaptability were integral for successful remote work. Work-life balance was affected in some workers who struggled with heavier workloads or family duties. CONCLUSIONS: To promote well-being and successful remote work, isolation and loneliness should be reduced through greater contact with colleagues and managers. Managers should promote family friendly policies that may support work-life balance and reduce gender inequities in remote work.

Current status of remote radiotherapy treatment planning in Japan: findings from a national survey†.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the status of remote-radiotherapy treatment planning (RRTP) in Japan through a nationwide questionnaire survey. The survey was conducted between 29 June and 4 August 2022, at 834 facilities in Japan that were equipped with linear accelerators. The survey utilized a Google form that comprised 96 questions on facility information, information about the respondent, utilization of RRTP between facilities, usage for telework and the inclination to implement RRTPs in the respondent's facility. The survey analyzed the utilization of the RRTP system in four distinct implementation types: (i) utilization as a supportive facility, (ii) utilization as a treatment facility, (iii) utilization as a teleworker outside of the facility and (iv) utilization as a teleworker within the facility. The survey response rate was 58.4% (487 facilities responded). Among the facilities that responded, 10% (51 facilities) were implementing RRTP. 13 served as supportive facilities, 23 as treatment facilities, 17 as teleworkers outside of the facility and 5 as teleworkers within the facility. In terms of system usage between supportive and treatment facilities, 70-80% of the participants utilized the system for emergencies or as overtime work for external workers. A substantial number of facilities (38.8%) reported that they were unfamiliar with RRTP implementation. The survey showed that RRTP utilization in Japan is still limited, with a significant number of facilities unfamiliar with the technology. The study highlights the need for greater understanding and education about RRTP and financial funds of economical compensation.

Teletrabalho e saúde no contexto da pandemia de COVID-19 / Telework and health in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

Resumo Introdução: com a pandemia de COVID-19 e a política de distanciamento social, quase 9 milhões de trabalhadores tiveram suas atividades profissionais transferidas para o ambiente doméstico. Esse contexto funcionou como um laboratório no qual as empresas puderam experimentar a modalidade do teletrabalho. Objetivo: analisar o crescimento do teletrabalho e o perfil dos teletrabalhadores, destacando impactos e consequências para saúde dos profissionais. Métodos: análise de bibliografia pertinente, exploração de dados secundários de pesquisas sobre condições objetivas e subjetivas do teletrabalho, publicações sobre o teletrabalho no contexto da pandemia e pós-pandemia, análise de anúncios de trabalho remoto. Resultados: em razão da forma como ocorreu durante a pandemia, o trabalho remoto, além das consequências para saúde e condições de vida e trabalho, acarretou novos desafios para a classe trabalhadora. Entre eles, destacam-se: como assegurar condições ambientais e ergonômicas adequadas ao trabalho e como garantir o limite de jornada, a delimitação do tempo de trabalho, tendo em vista a tendência de sua manutenção para o período pós-pandemia. Conclusão: a análise revelou impactos sobre a saúde dos trabalhadores, com novos desafios para a classe trabalhadora. Tais impactos, entre outras razões, se devem a jornadas ampliadas, condições ergonômicas no domicílio e pressões para cumprimento de metas.

Abstract Introduction: with the COVID-19 pandemic and the social distancing policy, almost 9 million workers had their professional activities transferred to the home environment, called "remote work," "home office," or "telework." This context worked as a laboratory in which companies could experiment with teleworking. Objective: to analyze the unprecedented telework growth and the teleworkers' profile, highlighting the impacts and consequences for the workers' health. Methods: analysis of relevant bibliography, exploration of secondary data from empirical research on objective and subjective teleworking conditions, publications in the media about telework in the pandemic and post-pandemic context, and analysis of remote work ads. Results: due to the way remote work occurred during the pandemic, in addition to its consequences for health, and living and working conditions, new challenges were raised for the working class. Among them: how to ensure adequate environmental and ergonomic working conditions and how to guarantee the limit of working hours, and the delimitation of working time, in view of the tendency for telework to be maintained in the post-pandemic period. Conclusion: the analysis revealed impacts on workers' health that bring new challenges to the working class. Such impacts, among other reasons, are due to extended working hours, ergonomic conditions at home, and pressure to meet goals.

Exploring hybrid telework: A bibliometric analysis.

Purpose: the aim of this paper is to analyze the evolution of understanding of hybrid telework, especially after the boom experienced in the global pandemic of COVID-19, which has given rise to new ways of working. Design: /methodology/approach: in this study, bibliometrics and scientific mapping were used to analyze the conceptual structure of hybrid telework based on 104 documents extracted from the Web of Science (WoS) database. Thanks to the co-word analysis performed with SciMAT, the main themes were mapped, and the evolution, importance and relevance of terms related to hybrid telework were identified. Findings: the body of research literature about hybrid telework is underdeveloped even though it is the most valued option of telework, both by organizations and employees. There is a lack of published studies in the public sphere and in such relevant fields as occupational health. Practical implications: this study is the first bibliometric analysis conducted for hybrid telework and demonstrates how hybrid telework is key for organizations to manage the emerging challenges in this field: new preferences from employment candidates, occupational health, etc, and how important it is to have a proper management of hybrid telework in organizations. Originality/value: this study explores in detail the evolution of hybrid telework, an underexplored telework modality, given its growth as a mode of work as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. It reveals critical points, dilemmas, paradoxes, and research gaps.

Can COVID-19 mark a tipping point for home-based telework? Conflict between untact technology and rigid institutions in Korea.

Background: Previously, Korea showed a passive attitude toward home-based telework; however, this stance rapidly changed after the COVID-19 pandemic. Sustaining home-based telework entails adjusting productivity conditions, introducing performance-based evaluations, and modifying employment rules, as required by the Korean Labor Standards Act, which demand the consent of most workers. This study aims to explore the societal and institutional shifts necessary for ongoing home-based telework post-pandemic. Methods: This study discusses the sustainability of home-based work based on survey data and materials from institutions and previous research. It used data from the Workplace Panel Survey provided by the Korea Labor Institution for 3 years (2015, 2017, and 2019) to examine the status of home-based work and business responses. It also addresses legal issues related to changes in working conditions and worker-management agreements resulting from telework implementation. Legal aspects of telework are explained using relevant sections of Korea's labor laws. Results: To establish home-based telework as a working method relevant to the Fourth Industrial Revolution after the pandemic, essential discussions are needed regarding its fundamental applicability to specific job sectors. Moreover, to activate home-based telework without deteriorating working conditions, achieving agreement between workers and management is imperative. However, legal complexities necessitate systemic changes for effective resolution. For the sustainable continuity of telework, a blend of societal awareness and institutional transformations is indispensable. Discussion: The growth of home-based telework through untact technology expansion is hindered by inflexible Korean labor laws, judicial precedents, and worker-management relations. The absence of necessary legal and organizational changes could lead Korea to revert to pre-pandemic norms or slow implementation. Initially prevalent in IT, home-based telework has expanded across sectors due to the pandemic. Leading the "new normal," companies creatively enhance productivity through telework, but rigid systems and outdated cultures could impede post-pandemic progress. Conclusion: The study highlights the need for forward-looking institutional changes and adaptation to advancing technology. It provides valuable insights for organizations and policymakers to optimize work dynamics and enhance employee and employer well-being in the post-COVID-19 era.

Teleworking Components and Scientific Productivity in Spanish ERC-Granted Teams: The Mediating Role of Climate and Well-Being / [Los componentes del teletrabajo y la productividad científica en los equipos españoles financiados por el ERC: el papel mediador del clima y el bienestar]

The practice of teleworking is being consistently and unprecedently used across multiple work sectors, including the research one, yet the direct and mediated links of specific telework designs with productivity are unclear, and analyses at multiple levels missing. Accordingly, this study aims at exploring the mediating role of the climate for well-being and well-being outcomes in the relationship between multiple components of teleworking and scientific productivity, both at the individual and team level. Data were collected from 358 members of 48 Spanish European Research Council (ERC)-granted teams. Analyses were conducted both at the individual and team level, after checking for the relevant aggregation indexes. Telework components of quantity, frequency, flexibility, and voluntariness were found to have direct and mediated significant relationships with scientific productivity, confirming the need to investigate telework with a closer focus on how it is designed and implemented in the different teams. Specifically, climate for well-being, eudaimonic well-being, and negative emotions were found to play a relevant role in mediating the relationship between some telework components (i.e., telework flexibility and voluntariness) and scientific productivity. Also, telework quantity and frequency were found to have, respectively, positive and negative relationship with scientific productivity. Practical and theoretical implications are further discussed in the article.(AU)

La práctica del teletrabajo se está utilizando de manera consistente y sin precedentes en múltiples sectores laborales, también en el de la investigación. No obstante, todavía quedan cuestiones que dilucidar sobre la relación entre aspectos específicos del diseño del teletrabajo y la productividad, así como los posibles mecanismos mediadores entre ambos a distintos niveles de análisis (individual, equipo). El trabajo tiene como objetivo explorar el papel mediador del clima para el bienestar y sus consecuencias en la relación entre múltiples componentes del teletrabajo y la productividad científica, tanto a nivel individual como de equipo. Se han recogido datos de 358 miembros de 48 equipos españoles subvencionados por el Consejo Europeo de Investigación (ERC). Los análisis se han realizado a ambos niveles tras comprobar los índices de agregación pertinentes. Cuatro componentes del teletrabajo (intensidad, frecuencia, flexibilidad y voluntariedad) presentaban relaciones significativas, directas e indirectas, con la productividad científica, confirmando la necesidad de investigar cómo se diseña e implementa en los equipos el teletrabajo. Se ha visto que el clima para el bienestar, el bienestar eudaimónico y las emociones negativas mediaban la relación entre algunos componentes del teletrabajo (la flexibilidad y la voluntariedad del teletrabajo) y la productividad científica. Además, la intensidad y la frecuencia del teletrabajo tenían, respectivamente, una relación positiva y negativa con la productividad científica. Las implicaciones prácticas y teóricas se analizan con más detalle en el artículo.(AU)

Conducting health services research during the COVID-19 pandemic: experiences from the veterans health administration.

BACKGROUND: Health services researchers within the Veterans Health Administration (VA) seek to improve the delivery of care to the Veteran population, whose medical needs often differ from the general population. The COVID-19 pandemic and restricted access to medical centers and offices forced VA researchers and staff to transition to remote work. This study aimed to characterize the work experience of health service researchers during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A REDCap survey developed from the management literature was distributed in July 2020 to 800 HSR&D researchers and staff affiliated with VA Centers of Innovation. We requested recipients to forward the survey to VA colleagues. Descriptive analyses and logistic regression modeling were conducted on multiple choice and Likert scaled items. Manifest content analysis was conducted on open-text responses. RESULTS: Responses were received from 473 researchers and staff from 37 VA Medical Centers. About half (48%; n = 228) of VA HSR&D researchers and staff who responded to the survey experienced some interference with their research due to the COVID-19 pandemic, yet 55% (n = 260) reported their programs of research did not slow or stop. Clinician investigators reported significantly greater odds of interference than non-clinician investigators and support staff. The most common barriers to working remotely were loss of face-to-face interactions with colleagues (56%; n = 263) and absence of daily routines (25%; n = 118). Strategies teams used to address COVID-19 related remote work challenges included videoconferencing (79%; n = 375), virtual get-togethers (48%; n = 225), altered timelines (42%; n = 199), daily email updates (30%; n = 143) and virtual team huddles (16%; n = 74). Pre-pandemic VA information technology structures along with systems created to support multidisciplinary research teams working across a national healthcare system maintained and enhanced staff engagement and well-being. CONCLUSIONS: This study identifies how the VA structures and systems put in place prior to the COVID-19 pandemic to support a dispersed workforce enabled the continuation of vital scientific research, staff engagement and well-being during a global pandemic. These findings can inform remote work policies and practices for researchers during the current and future crises.

Relationship between Telework Jetlag and Perceived Psychological Distress among Japanese Hybrid Workers.

Social jetlag is associated with physical and mental health problems. With the increased popularity of telework, we investigated a specific form of social jetlag that we termed "telework jetlag". This study aimed to clarify the relationship between telework jetlag-the difference in sleep and wake-up times between in-office and telework days-and mental health problems among Japanese hybrid workers. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1789 participants from October to December 2021 using an online-based questionnaire. Telework jetlag, defined as the difference in the midsleep point between in-office and telework days, was investigated using two groups according to telework jetlag-those lagging <1 h versus ≥1 h. We used the six-item Kessler Scale as a nonspecific psychological distress scale for the outcome. Telework jetlag was significantly associated with psychological distress, and the ≥1 h group had a higher risk (odds ratio: 1.80) of developing high psychological distress (HPD) than the <1 h group in the multivariate analysis. Since most teleworkers are forced to have a hybrid work style that mixes going to work and teleworking, telework jetlag must be addressed to maintain the health of teleworkers.

Working from Home During Covid-19 Pandemic and Changes to Fertility Intentions Among Parents.

The Covid-19 pandemic and related massive spread of home based work led to substantial changes in the conditions for combining work and childbearing. On the one hand, working from home helped parents to accommodate increased childcare needs during the pandemic. On the other hand, it led to acute experiences of blurred boundaries between work and family life during childcare and school closures. Therefore, the direction of the impact of working from home on fertility intentions during the pandemic is not unequivocal. In this paper, we investigate how working from home was related to change in fertility intentions of mothers and fathers during the pandemic and discuss the complex mechanisms behind these relationships. With the use of unique Familydemic Survey data from a representative sample of parents in Poland, we estimate multinomial logit regressions by gender and consider a set of potential moderators, including financial well-being, gender relations, and occupational characteristics. We find evidence for an overall negative relationship between home based work and fertility intentions for mothers, but we also uncover some positive moderating effects. In particular, we shed light on the unobvious moderating role of gendered division of unpaid labor from before the pandemic.

Trabajo, teletrabajo y salud mental en el contexto COVID-19 / Work, telework, and mental health during COVID-19

Resumen Este trabajo abordar una reflexión sobre el impacto de la pandemia COVID19 sobre la salud mental de los trabajadores, y en particular, sobre las condiciones del teletrabajo. Para ello se recupera y analiza diferentes documentos de organismos internacionales y diferentes publicaciones científicas especializadas. De la información recuperada se señala que la pandemia no sólo ha tenido importantes efectos sobre la salud mental de los trabajadores de primera línea, sino también, sobre los trabajadores que debieron migrar repentinamente hacia los entornos virtuales, sin demasiada organización previa. No obstante, un aspecto positivo se refleja en la organización de diferentes dispositivos de atención de la salud mental remota, implementados para la atención de poblaciones vulnerables, trabajadores de primera línea y población general. Se concluye enfatizando la importancia del desarrollo de políticas públicas para la atención específica de la salud mental de los trabajadores.

Abstract This review addresses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on workers' mental health, in particular, teleworking conditions. Our analysis is based on documents from several international organizations and specialized scientific publications. The retrieved information reveals that the pandemic has had a significant effect on the mental health of frontline workers and employees who had to migrate to a virtual environment without prior warning. However, a positive aspect is reflected in the development of several remote mental health care devices implemented to protect vulnerable population, frontline workers, and the general population. Finally, this paper underscores the importance of developing public policies for protecting workers' mental health.