Association between mobile work and work ability: a longitudinal study under the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Objective This study examines the effect of mobile work on work ability as direct predictor and as factor moderating workplace stressors and resources. Originally, the study focused on the effects of mobile work on work ability in a mobile test group compared to office workers. As the study period of 1 year collided with the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown restrictions, we can now explore the association of mobile work and work ability before and during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods This longitudinal, exploratory study took place in a medium-sized company in the social insurance sector in Germany. We used a mixed-methods design (online survey and focus group interviews) with two survey dates 1 year apart (T0: summer/autumn 2019 (before COVID-19 pandemic), T1: summer 2020 (during COVID-19 pandemic, after first strict lockdown)). Quantitative data, which are reported here, were collected by means of an online questionnaire, which includes questions on mobile work and validated measures for work-related stressors and resources and work ability. Non-parametric tests, regression analysis, and logistic regression models were used for data analysis. Results The linked data set of both survey dates includes N = 102 persons (men: 37%, mean age: 41–50 years). Interestingly, we found an improvement in work ability over the course of the study (p = 0.007), although it included the first and most drastic COVID-19 restrictions in Germany. Before the pandemic, correlations between work ability and work-related stressors (e.g., work–privacy conflicts) and resources (e.g., sense of community) were evident. Some of these factors are moderated by mobile work. During the COVID-19 pandemic, mobile work was identified as independent factor for work ability. In addition, technology competence conviction gained importance as a personal resource in our cohort. Conclusions Work ability can be influenced by many factors. Our study, which allowed for a comparison of work ability before and during COVID-19 pandemic, suggests that mobile work can be especially helpful to maintain work ability in times of change. Our findings support the notion that—under normal conditions—mobile work can influence work ability via work-related stressors and resources. In times of changes, it can have an independent effect on work ability. It must be assumed that the effects can be highly individual or context-specific.

Das Homeoffice-Modul in der Gefährdungsbeurteilung psychischer Belastung mit dem COPSOQ – Genese und Ergebnisse

“…Die für das Homeoffice charakteristische Belastungssituation erweist sich bei den Befragten in "Unternehmensorganisation, Buchhaltung, Recht und Verwaltung" als vielschichtig beziehungsweise ambivalent. Gleiches berichten nicht nur die oben genannten Studien aus dem deutschsprachigen Raum, sondern auch die internationale Literatur (Berling et al 2022;Ipsen et al 2021;Vleeshouwers et al 2022;Koren et al 2023). Auf der einen Seite sind größere zeitliche Spielräume und Einflussmöglichkeiten bei geringeren emotionalen Belastungen festzustellen, während auf der anderen Seite eine vermehrte Entgrenzung sowie schwierigere Vereinbarkeit von Arbeit und Privatleben bei höheren quantitativen Anforderungen berichtet wird.…”

Assessing Differences in Attitudes toward Occupational Safety and Health Measures for Infection Control between Office and Assembly Line Employees during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Germany: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Baseline Data from a Repeated Employee Survey

“…In addition to self-developed items and those from prevailing surveys [37], e.g., COSMO [26], we included validated scales, e.g., the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ) [38], and the short scale Social Desirability-Gamma (KSE-G) [39]. See Supplementary Material File for further details and sources [40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47].…”

Einfluss der Kontaktbeschränkungen gegen SARS-CoV-2 auf die körperliche Aktivität von Beschäftigten des öffentlichen Dienstes

“…Einer Metanalyse zur Folge kann das Arbeiten zu Hause das Autonomieempfinden von Beschäftigten fördern und das Risiko von Work-Family-Konflikten reduzieren [ 25 ]. Zudem legen Untersuchungen während der Corona-Pandemie nahe, dass das mobile Arbeiten die arbeitsbezogenen Stressoren und Ressourcen und damit die generelle Arbeitsfähigkeit („work ability“) beeinflussen könnte [ 1 ]. Dies wiederum kann einen positiven Effekt auf das metabolische Risiko, die Lebensqualität und die Lebenserwartung haben.…”