Work from home: Indonesian employees' mental well-being and productivity during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore to what extent employees' mental well-being affects their productivity while working from home (WFH) during the COVID-19 crisis and whether mental well-being and productivity differ across some socio-demographic factors.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional study with online questionnaires was designed with 472 valid responses in Indonesia. Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and Individual Work Performance Questionnaire (IWPQ) were administered. Non-parametric tests and structural equation modeling were employed to analyze the data.FindingsThe prevalence of depression was 18.4%, anxiety 46.4% and stress 13.1%, with relatively good productivity. Gender, age, education level, job experiences, marital status, number of children and nature of the organization were associated with the employees' psychological health but not with their productivity, while the workspace availability influenced both outcomes. The study path model showed the negative correlation between WFH employees' psychological well-being and productivity.Research limitations/implicationsThis study may contribute to the implication of current mandatory WFH on mental well-being and productivity. Further studies need to address the representativeness and generalizability issues as well as incorporating potential stressors.Practical implicationsOrganizations may adopt WFH as a future working arrangement and identify the individual and occupational characteristics that provide the most impacts on productivity. It is also necessary for them to develop proper strategies to mitigate the psychological risks and overcome the WFH challenges.Originality/valueThere is still a lack of studies investigating the relationship between simultaneous effects of WFH on psychological well-being and productivity, and how they affect some socio-demographic variables in the context of COVID-19.

Work-Related Mental Health Under COVID-19 Restrictions: A Mini Literature Review

“…Compared to conventional telework, pandemic-induced remote working is mandatory in nature ( 33 ), and companies and organizations have never before enforced employees to work full time at home simultaneously in a global range ( 32 ). On the one hand, using telecommunication devices to complete work has significantly minimized the risk of spreading the virus through regular close contact with others ( 4 ). On the other hand, as a growing phenomenon, employees' psychological reactions to remote working emerge as a fundamental problem ( 4 ).…”

“…On the one hand, using telecommunication devices to complete work has significantly minimized the risk of spreading the virus through regular close contact with others ( 4 ). On the other hand, as a growing phenomenon, employees' psychological reactions to remote working emerge as a fundamental problem ( 4 ).…”

“…Scholars report psychological symptoms induced by remote working during the pandemic ranging from stress, emotional distress, emotional exhaustion, and anxiety to depression ( 4 , 32 , 34 ). Employees' mental health issues are associated with their perceptions of the pros and cons of telework.…”

“…Notably, as a containment strategy to prevent employees from physical harm, the implementation of COVID-19 restrictions unexpectedly brings up mental health issues on them. For example, some employees are found experiencing higher psychological distress (e.g., a negative dimension of mental health) following the work-from-home (WFH) guidelines of their organizations ( 3 , 4 ). However, the complex impact of applying COVID-19 restrictions on work-related mental health is largely understudied compared to the vast majority of literature focusing on the impact of the outbreak of COVID-19 ( 5 ).…”

Identify Work from Home Priorities Using an Analytical Hierarchy Process

“…Therefore, it is needed to determine which issues should be prioritized for consideration and planning. In the period of working from home policy in Indonesia, many studies have been conducted to try to capture emerging phenomena from various perspectives, for example, information technology [13], health [14], gender [15], government policy [16], psychology [17], economy [18] education [19], and various perspectives and methods. However, research that analyzes the elements of work from home and determines the priorities of these elements has not been carried out.…”