Challenges to Working Practices During the COVID-19 Lockdowns: Insights Through Academic Studies

Effect of Covid-19 lockdown/ compulsory work from home (WFH) situation on musculoskeletal disorders in India

The aim of the present study was to explore whether remote and on-site work stress during the COVID-19 pandemic was experienced with different severity. The second goal was to investigate stress conditions at both working modes. The study involved 946 individuals working in the education system and BSS sector in different Polish organizations. The following tools were used: the Brief Scale of Vocational Stress by Dudek and Hauk, the Polish version of the scales to measure work-family conflicts by Grzywacz, Frone, Brewer and Kovner, Meyer and Allen's Affective, Continuance, and Normative Commitment Scales in the Polish adaptation by Bańka, Wołowska and Bazińska, the Satisfaction with Job Scale by Zalewska. The analysis of intergroup differences revealed that remote work stress severity was significantly lower than on-site work stress severity. The regression analyses proved that work-family conflict and job satisfaction were significant predictors of remote and on-site work stress. Continuance commitment positively predicted on-site work stress. Both models turned out to be statistically significant. The variables included in the models explained 39% and 35% of the variability of the remote work and on-site work stress, respectively. Remote work is associated with lower stress severity than on-site work. For both types of work, the higher the level of work-family conflict, the higher the level of stress severity, but the higher the job satisfaction, the lower the stress severity. Continuance commitment is positively related to on-site stress, which means that people who work for an organization and see no alternative feel more stressed. Such an effect was observed only in the case of on-site work. The study findings are discussed in light of previous research, and implications for organizational practice are considered. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2023;36(1):96-111.

Studies on accelerometer-measured daily physical activity behaviour, especially among hybrid and remote workers, are scarce. We compared daily occupational and non-occupational physical activity and sedentary time among manual, in-office, hybrid and remote workers. In addition, physical activity behaviour during remote and office workdays among hybrid workers was compared. Daily physical activity behaviour was collected with wrist-worn accelerometers on ≥4 days from 133 Finnish workers (31 years, 61% women). Participants were divided into four groups according to their work modes: manual (n=32), in-office (n=49), hybrid (n=35) and remote workers (n=17). Differences in physical activity and sedentary time during workdays (separately for occupational and non-occupational time) between the groups were examined using generalised linear models. Linear mixed models were used for intra-individual differences among hybrid workers. Workdays' occupational physical activity and sedentary time differed between the work mode groups (p<0.0001); the manual workers accumulated the highest occupational physical activity, while both hybrid and remote workers accumulated the highest occupational sedentary time. No differences in non-occupational behaviours were observed. Among hybrid workers, occupational sedentary time tended to be higher (26 min, 95% CI -2 to 53) during remote versus office workdays, but non-occupational behaviours were similar. Remote work is associated with the lowest physical activity and the highest sedentary time compared with other work modes. Strategies to promote physical activity during remote workdays may be needed.

Purpose Contemporary organizations face a growing need for innovation while work is becoming increasingly digitalized. In such a context, employees’ innovative work behaviour (IWB) is crucial. However, little attention has been given to whether and how human resource management (HRM) practices can sustain IWB in remote work. Thus, this study aims to explore the relationship between performance management (PM) practices and employees’ IWB when job is performed remotely. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on signalling perspective of HRM, this study applies regression analysis on data collected through an online questionnaire administered to a sample of 647 Italian employees testing the moderating role of remote work in the relationship between PM and IWB. Findings The findings show that result- and new-competence-based appraisal promote IWB, regardless of the extent to which work is performed remotely. In contrast, remote work nullifies the role of employee involvement in the goal setting process, as well as the influence of compensation-oriented PM and developmental performance management. Continuous feedback emerges as the key PM practice sustaining IWB among remote employees. Research limitations/implications This study shows that remote work represents a key boundary condition in the relationship between PM and IWB. More specifically, the findings indicate that only certain PM practices − such as result- and competence-based appraisal and continuous feedback sustain IWB when work is extensively performed remotely. However, the reliance on a convenience sample of Italian employees limits the generalizability of the findings, indicating the need for cross-national and longitudinal studies to examine these relationships across different remote and hybrid work settings. Practical implications The findings suggest that organizations seeking to foster employees’ IWB should redesign PM systems by prioritizing results and competence development over task-based control. In remote work contexts, continuous feedback appears particularly critical. In addition, compensation-oriented PM practices do not inhibit IWB, whereas involvement of employees in goal setting becomes non-significant. Social implications This study suggests that some PM practices, particularly continuous feedback, can contribute to mitigate drawbacks of remote work, like for instance social isolation and work-related stress, thus supporting more sustainable and inclusive forms of work. Originality/value This study advances the literature on PM and IWB by identifying remote work as a key boundary condition. It also extends existing research on remote work by showing that practices known to support remote workers’ well-being − such as result-based appraisal, competence-based appraisal and continuous feedback − may likewise foster IWB, basically generating a signalling effect that encourages employees to be proactive and to generate new ideas and ways of working. In doing so, this study also provides guidelines to companies to redesign their PM systems.

The purpose of this study was to determine the work from home and work environment during the Covid-19 pandemic on the work productivity of ASN at the P3APPKB Office of Bengkulu Province. The population in this study amounted to 80 ASN with a saturated sampling technique, where all members of the population were sampled. Work From Home (X1) had a positive and significant effect on Productivity during the COVID-19 Pandemic Period ASN Work at the P3APPKB Office of Bengkulu Province. This can be seen from the significant Work From Home (X1) 0.012 &lt; 0.05 and the value of t table = t (a/2 ;nk-1) = t (0.025 ; 77 = 1.994 means the value of tcount is greater than ttable 2.574 &gt; 1.994 then H0 rejected and H1 accepted. Work Environment Variable (X2) had a positive and significant effect on Productivity during the COVID-19 Pandemic Period of ASN Work at the Bengkulu Province P3APPKB Office. 0.124 &gt; 0.05 and value tcount = t (a/2 ;nk-1) = t (0.025; 77 = 1.994 means the value of tcount is greater than ttable 1.555 &lt; 1.994 then H0 is rejected and H1 is accepted. Test F: F table = F (k;nk) =F (2;80-2;78 + 3, 11. it can be seen that the value of Fcount is 4.996 with the value of Ftable is 3.11 so that the value of Fcount and Ftable or 4.996 &gt; 3.11, and a significant level of 0.009 &lt; 0.05 then H0 is rejected and H3 is accepted, it can be concluded that the Work Form Home variable (X1 ) and the Work Environment (X2) simultaneously affect productivity during the COVID-19 Pandemik Period of ASN Work at the P3APPKB Office of Province B engkulu. By using multiple linear regression and the results of the study indicate that there is an effect of the variable Work From Home (X1) and the work environment (X2) partially influencing the work productivity of ASN in the P3APPKB Office of Bengkulu Province. Work From Home (X1) and Work Environment (X2) Simultaneous effect on productivity (Y) is 92%.

Drawing on a virtual ethnography, we explore how the increase in remote working has created unequal domestic rearrangements of parenting duties with respect to gender relations during the COVID-19 lockdown in Italy. We also discuss the resources that mothers have mobilized to create a network of social support in the organization of care.

Purpose The persistence of remote and hybrid work has resulted in socially isolated supply chain workers working in functional groups to perform sometimes repetitive and unengaging tasks, under the auspices of performance dashboards. This study examines perseverance, a personality trait that may be a potential factor in stimulating helping behavior and improving workgroup performance. In addition, we also explore common logistics and supply chain management task structures, including goal-setting and task complexity as moderating influences. Design/methodology/approach This paper utilizes an online scenario-based vignette experiment designed in collaboration with a senior supply chain management executive to explore personality and situational factors that influence helping behavior among remote workers performing an unengaging supply chain task. Findings We find that, while a worker's perseverance is positively related to their likelihood of helping coworkers, this direct relationship is under competitive mediation through normative ability, in which we also find that perseverant workers tend to focus more on their own performance, even though assessing their normative ability is positively tied to helping behavior. Further, both of these dynamics are respectively amplified by participative goal-setting and, unexpectedly, task complexity. Practical implications As firms continue to struggle with return-to-office mandates, our results offer insights into how supply chain managers can improve workgroup performance among remote workers, particularly those tasked with unengaging and unrewarding tasks that remain commonplace in the logistics and supply chain management domain. Originality/value To our best knowledge, this is the first study to examine remote supply chain worker performance. Even as technology continues to advance, there are certain repetitive and unengaging tasks that cannot be simply automated. Our study offers a potential path for supply chain managers to improve remote worker engagement and workgroup performance on these tasks.

Purpose: Flexibility in work location has become a demand in the shifting world of work, but the experience remains precarious across gender lines. Technology is a significant enabler in remote working, and therefore adoption of new technology plays a role in facilitating more engagement. This article considers technology adoption and the influence of inclusion on workers’ level of engagement. Design/methodology/approach: A cross-sectional empirical survey was conducted in a shipping company based in South Africa, and data were analysed using the partial least squares structural equation modelling approach. In addition to gender, the authors also considered the effect of worker location. Findings/results: Different experiences for men and women, and those on-site as opposed to those working in a hybrid way, were observed. The study validated the relationship between technology adoption and workers’ engagement and confirmed the experience of inclusion as a moderating trend. It furthermore contributes insights into gender differences in experience as well as differences in remote and on-site work arrangements. Practical implications: In a male-dominated industry like the maritime industry and shipping, attention needs to be given to gender differences and how to create more inclusive and enabling work environments. Originality/value: Crucially, the research highlights gender-specific dynamics, finding that job satisfaction fully mediates the technology-engagement relationship for women, while resources like autonomy and support provide a stronger moderating boost to their engagement compared to men.

The COVID-19 pandemic has lasted for over 1 year. During the pandemic, several software development companies migrated to working from home (WFH). Several studies have recorded an initial moment of adaptation to WFH. This study investigated how Brazilian software development teams dealt with WFH after 1 year of a pandemic and how this change in work was on the software development process. We applied a survey with 67 participants of software development teams and investigated aspects, as: work routine, collaboration, communication, productivity, financial assistance and software development process. We performed a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the survey results and compared them with previous studies. Our key findings are: (i) 56.71% of the participants said that it has an impact on the work routine related to work overload and exceeds the company's standard hours; (ii) 92.54% of the participants consider their team to be collaborative; (iii) 82.70% are satisfied with the communication at WFH; (iv) 86.55% has meetings once or twice a day; (v) 59.7% had an improvement in productivity in WFH and 75% are satisfied with their productivity; (vi) 79.60% receive some assistance from the company for WFH; (vii) 82.1% said that the company intends or probably intends to continue in the WFH, and (viii) 55.2% said they had changed in the software development process due to WFH. The main positive changes in the process are related to the practices of: daily meetings, agile processes, code review, pair programming and code versioning.

The Covid-19 Virus pandemic has made changes to all work activities in the world including Indonesia. The implementation of WFH (Work From Home) work patterns certainly has an influence on work productivity. This research was conducted at the Bogor City BMKG Office office, with the aim of knowing the influence of the Covid-19 Virus and WFH (Work From Home) work patterns on human resource productivity. The quality of work, and the timeliness while working becomes difficult to measure, so it is necessary to conduct research in order to understand how the Covid-19 Virus pandemic and WFH work patterns affect HUMAN PRODUCTIVITY This study has implications for the world of work that wants to measure productivity to determine the direction of the Company's policies in the future, including in government agencies. This research is quantitative research, using questionnaires distributed to 30 civil servant respondents of the Operational engineering and management work unit at the BMKG Office and also through the study of journal article literature. The method used is multiple Linear regression using SPSS 25 application with Descriptive Statistical Test, Classical Assumption Test, Normality Test, Multicoliniarity Test, Heteroskedasticity Test, Atocorrelation Test. The results showed that the variable impact of Covid-19 (X1) significant value is 0.127 &amp;gt; 0.05, so it can be concluded that H0 is accepted and H1 is rejected. This means that there is no effect of the impact of covid (X1) on human resources productivity (Y). Variable Working pattern WFH (X2) significant value is 0.710 &amp;gt; 0.05, then it can be concluded that H0 is accepted and H1 rejected. This means that there is no effect of the impact of covid (X1) on human resources productivity (Y). Variable Working pattern WFH (X2) significant value is 0.710 &amp;gt; 0.05, then it can be concluded that H0 is accepted and H1 rejected. This means that there is no influence of WFH (X1) work patterns on HR productivity (Y). In this study, it can be concluded at the BMKG Office of Bogor City Covid-19 Pandemic and WFH work patterns have no effect on human resources productivity

Purpose: The research objective was to check whether there is a correlation between feelings about difficulties in Work from Home (WFH) and having previous experience in remote working. Methodology: During the research the literature review and a questionnaire study were conducted. The CAWI method was applied in April 2021, i.e., a year after the first case of COVID-19 in Poland, and five months after the introduction of the obligatory WFH in public institutions. The study covered 1284 employees of various positions and branches. The Pearson chi square test of independence and the U-Mann-Whitney test were applied. Findings: The research results show that there is a correlation between feelings about the difficulties and WFH benefits and the experience of remote working before the pandemic. The hypothesis that in the group with no experience in remote working more people feel difficulties related to WFH than among those with experience, was only confirmed as to the problem of lowering the living comfort. Other difficulties, for which a statistically significant correlation with experience was found, were mentioned less often by people without experience than by those who worked remotely before the pandemic. As for the benefits, it was found that their strength was higher for those with no experience than those who had previously worked remotely. The exception was the benefit of low level of supervisor control, which was felt more strongly by employees with experience. Practical Implications: Assuming that with the time of remote working the benefits decrease, and the number of difficulties increases, managers should develop an appropriate motivation system and support for WFH employees. This will be beneficial not only during a pandemic, but also in the future, as remote working is likely to remain in a hybrid form in some organizations, or it will be implemented along with the development of Economy 4.0. Originality Value: The research focused not only on the difficulties (and benefits) experienced by employees providing WFH, but also on the relation between their feelings and experience in remote working before the pandemic outbreak. The correlations should become an inspiration for further research, mainly of a dynamic nature.

Indoor soundscapes at home during the COVID-19 lockdown in London – Part II: A structural equation model for comfort, content, and well-being

Recent COVID-19 Pandemic has forced many institutions to adopt work from home (WFH) practice whether they’re ready or not. Conditions affecting knowledge worker productivity while adopting new WFH practices become increasingly relevant as compa- nies adapt to the new normal era. This study investigates the direct impact of WFH on productivity and the mediating impact of WFH on productivity through work life balance (WLB) and job satisfaction in the banking industry located in the Greater Jakarta Area. As such, questionnaires were conducted with 234 respondents who have experience of the WFH program due to COVID-19 pandemic and working in the banking industry located in the Greater Jakarta Area. Findings revealed how job satisfaction is a mediating variable between WFH and Productivity, and WFH positively impacts overall productivity. However, contrary to our predictions, results also showed that WFH has a negative impact on WLB. Further research can extend the proposed model of this study by considering adding several variables which might affect productivity in WFH arrangements or implement the already proposed model to other industries.

The present study focused on the relationship between occupational activity and mental health during the first COVID-19 lockdown. At the turn of May and June 2020, an online survey was conducted on a representative sample of 3000 Poles (age: Me = 45 years). Working persons accounted for 52% of the respondents, while 38.1% were hired workers. Two standardized (0-100 pts) indices were defined. The level of mental health symptoms index (LMHSI) concerned the incidence of 4 problems within the past 2 months, whereas the change in mental health symptoms index (CMHSI) concerned the degree of mental health deterioration. The mean value of LMHSI was 40.91 (SD = 26.97), and that of CMHSI 60.51 (SD = 23.97). In both cases, a worse assessment was obtained among women than among men. In the group of working respondents, the least advantageous results were found among those who worked casually or under a commission contract. Among the non-employed respondents, jobless persons and students were the group at risk. Remote work resulted in the deterioration of mental health in the light of CMHSI; however, a threat of changes in the professional situation affected LMHSI variability to the greatest extent The results of linear regression (R2 = 0.339) suggest that the increase in the CMHSI score (adjusted for LMHSI) is independently influenced by female sex, university education, remote work and a threat of the worsening of employment terms. The analysis of the interaction effect showed a stronger impact of the last factor in the group of women (p = 0.001). To conclude, COVID-19 restrictions were associated with a negative impact on mental health which should be analyzed in the occupational context. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2021;34(2):251-62.

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, managers and employees in many organizations suddenly are forced to work from home. Although working from home (WFH) is not a new phenomenon, it is new in its current scale and scope because of COVID-19. Against this background, we investigate the effect of WFH during the COVID-19 crisis on changes in leadership behaviors, and associated changes in perceived manager quality and productivity, at different hierarchical levels in organizations. Based on the literature, we develop two predictions in opposite directions. On the one hand, implementing WFH may force managers to show less direction and control and especially more delegation. On the other hand, research into the effects of exogenous shocks such as COVID-19, suggests that managers may become more controlling and delegate less. Consistent with the first prediction, we find that managers perceive they execute significantly less control and delegate more. Employees also perceive a significant decrease in control, however they perceive on average no change in delegation. Furthermore, and in line with the second prediction, employees of lower-level managers even report a significant decrease in delegation. Finally, our results show that increased delegation is associated with increased perceived productivity and higher manager quality. Together, these results suggest that in the context of the COVID-19 crisis, the effectiveness of WFH might be hampered by the fact that required changes in leadership behaviors, in particular in delegation, are difficult to realize in times of crisis.