Mental and physical health and well-being of Canadian employees who were working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed various aspects of our lives, including how we work. Since the start of the pandemic, numerous organizations in Canada have mandated their employees to work from home (WFH) on a full-time basis. The rapid rise in the number of remote workers and the possibility for WFH continuing in the future signifies the importance of understanding the health and well-being of employees working from home over the course of the pandemic in Canada. We present the findings of two surveys (initial and 6-month follow-up) to examine the health and well-being of WFH employees during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. We analyzed the changes in mental and physical health and well-being of employees who were working from home between two time points during the pandemic. Methods Initial survey was completed between October 2020 and December 2020 (n = 1617); follow-up survey was completed between May 2021 and June 2021 (n = 382). We calculated the frequencies for survey questions involving demographics, WFH preferences, workstation setup training, employment situation, provision of hardware technologies, provision and usage of software technologies, and organization’s return to work plan. We conducted Wilcoxon signed-rank tests to analyze the within-individual changes in mental and physical health and well-being of the 382 respondents who completed both the initial and follow-up surveys. Results Our analyses showed significant changes in various aspects of employee mental and physical health and well-being. Burnout, stress, general mental health, and job insecurity levels significantly decreased between the two time periods. Work-related sedentary behaviour reduced over time; however, the average proportion of time spent sitting during work hours was more than 80% in both surveys. Employees received more help and feedback from their colleagues and experienced a better sense of community with their co-workers over time. Conclusion The findings can inform workers and organizations on the changes in mental and physical health and well-being of employees working from home during the pandemic. By understanding the changes in worker health and well-being, employers can develop effective strategies and implement policies that help protect employees’ health and well-being.

Effects of working from home on lifestyle behaviors and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: A survey study

“…Our study is novel in that it was conducted following earlier containment measures and allowed the assessment of specific medium/long-term effects of WH on health-related variables. Another survey conducted among Canadian adults who worked from home during the COVID-19 pandemic found a reduction in the levels of stress and burnout, as well as a decline in general mental health over time [ 85 ].…”

Teleworking Effects on Mental Health—A Systematic Review and a Research Agenda

“…As research into teleworking becomes more galvanized, it becomes clear that this new work paradigm entails a variety of physical, emotional, and social symptoms, which can affect the quality of life, health, and performance of workers [ 76 , 92 ]. Regarding the third research question, we can divide the symptoms into two large groups: (1) ergonomic and musculoskeletal, essentially due to the lack of adequate ergonomic conditions and a sedentary lifestyle; and (2) psychological symptoms, such as anxiety, stress, and anguish, closely related to the lack of work–life balance.…”

“…The analysis also showed that teleworking can have mixed impacts [ 67 ] regarding workers’ quality of life and health. In more critical circumstances, pathological manifestations tend to be aggravated by the action of a set of other variables, which include work characteristics [ 76 ], professional profiles, work quality standards, the support received from employers, personal preferences [ 9 , 56 , 75 , 78 ], and family structure [ 79 , 81 , 92 ]. It is also important to highlight that the impacts of working from home vary according to gender [ 68 ].…”

Assessing Employee’s Mental Wellbeing during Telecommuting

“…In the organisational point of view, employees were said to be affected to a higher extent as the organisations ( [3]). In a study conducted by ( [12]), the researchers found out that in the beginning, employees were more prone to mental and physical health deterioration such as stress and burnout which eventually decreased overtime. The researcher also specified that when the organisations understand the negative impacts of work from home, they can establish better strategies to minimise the negative impacts.…”