Work fatigue during COVID-19 lockdown teleworking: the role of psychosocial, environmental, and social working conditions

Abstract

BackgroundDuring national lockdowns in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, previously office-based workers who transitioned to home-based teleworking faced additional demands (e.g., childcare, inadequate homeworking spaces) likely resulting in poor work privacy fit. Previous office research suggests poor work privacy fit is associated with lower wellbeing and higher work fatigue. Emerging evidence suggests a relationship between childcare duties during pandemic teleworking and work fatigue. In addition to psychosocial working conditions (job demand, job control, and job change management), which are acknowledged predictors of work fatigue, this poses a significant threat to occupational health during pandemic teleworking. However, the relative effects of aspects of the psychosocial environment (job demands and resources), the home office environment (including privacy fit), and the social environment (childcare) on work fatigue as well as their interactions are under-explored.ObjectiveThis study examined the relationships between the psychosocial, environmental, and social working conditions of teleworking during the first COVID-19 lockdown and work fatigue. Specifically, the study examined teleworkers’ physical work environment (e.g., if and how home office space is shared, crowding, and noise perceptions) as predictors of privacy fit and the relationship between privacy fit, childcare, psychosocial working conditions (job demand, job control, and job change management), and work fatigue. Work privacy fit was hypothesized to mediate the relationship between childcare and work fatigue.MethodsAn online cross-sectional survey was conducted with teleworkers (n = 300) during the first COVID-19 lockdown in April and May 2020; most participants were in Germany, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.ResultsPath analysis was used to examine the hypothesized relationships. Privacy fit was lower for those reporting greater levels of noise in home-working spaces and those feeling crowded at home. Work fatigue was lower amongst those with greater privacy fit and higher amongst those with high levels of job demand. An indirect relationship was observed between childcare and work fatigue with privacy fit mediating this relationship.ConclusionThe influence of privacy fit has so far been largely neglected in research on teleworking, especially during the pandemic. However, its contribution to workers’ wellbeing should be acknowledged in occupational health strategies.

Work environment and health of bank employees working from home: Lessons from the COVID‐19 pandemic

“…In this work, we aim to fill the gaps identified by examining the impact of the work environment on the physical and psychological health of bank employees who were forced to work from home during the pandemic. Specifically, following Weber et al (2023), we differentiate three work environments: the physical environment, linked to home office conditions; the social environment, assessing the family interference with work; and the structural environment, addressing technological demands and, more specifically, the technological overload perceived by the worker as a consequence of the use of information and communication technologies for the performance of their work. We also examine the mediating role of family interference with work and technological overload and the moderating role of the support provided to teleworking by the organisation.…”

“…Following the Person-Environment fit theory developed by Edwards et al (1998), when individuals perceive a misfit between their needs and the characteristics of the environment, psychological, physical, and behavioral tensions arise, which in the long term can trigger physical and mental illnesses in the worker, such as stress, depression, poor sleep quality, or loss of concentration. In this sense, Weber et al (2023) identified three interrelated environments with potential effects on employee health: built environment, social environment, and structural environment.…”

“…Social environment refers to the presence of the family when teleworking (Weber et al, 2023). Several studies have analyzed the impact of teleworking on the work-family conflict.…”

“…In teleworking situations, there is an integration of the work and family domain, eliminating the physical distance between work and home. In addition, in the context of COVID-19 lockdowns, many parents had to combine work with childcare and education, due to the closure of educational centres (Weber et al, 2023). The greater availability of the employee to the family, the existence of children who may require care, or the noise generated by other family members create distractions and interruptions for the employee while working, leading to greater permeability of the workplace by giving greater control to the family domain.…”

“…Therefore, it is essential to carefully integrate and design organisational, human, and technological subsystems during teleworking to improve not only productivity but also the health and well-being of employees (Beckel & Fisher, 2022). In this sense, Weber et al (2023), following the socio-ecological framework applied to health promotion provided by Stokols (1996), identify three interrelated environments with potential effects on the health of teleworkers: (1) social environment, referring to the presence of the family when working; (2) built environment, referring to home office conditions;…”