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Inoue, Chihiro, Yusuke Ishihata & Shintaro Yamaguchi (2024): Working from home leads to more family-oriented men. In: Review of Economics of the Household, Jg. 22, H. 2, S. 783-829. DOI:10.1007/s11150-023-09682-6

Abstract

"We examine how working from home (WFH) affects men’s participation in childcare and housework and their attitudes toward family. Because WFH is an endogenous decision, we apply a first-difference instrumental variable estimator, taking the degree to which one can work from home, measured at the individual level, as the instrument. We find that WFH increases the time that men spend on household chores and with family, and the fraction of men who consider life more important than work. Although WFH decreases their commuting time, we find no evidence that it reduces working hours or self-perceived productivity." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Jansen, Thea, Andrea Ascani, Alessandra Faggian & Alessandro Palma (2024): Remote work and location preferences: a study of post-pandemic trends in Italy. In: The Annals of Regional Science, Jg. 73, H. 3, S. 897-944. DOI:10.1007/s00168-024-01295-w

Abstract

"This study investigates how working remotely, by reducing workplace commuting, weakens the limitations connected to residential mobility and enables Tiebout sorting. We focus on the Italian context, where a strong culture of in-person workplace attendance limits workers’ ability to live farther from their workplace. We leverage the natural experiment of COVID-19 containment measures to shed light on the spatial implications of an increased remote work adoption. We overcome the unavailability of official data by collecting primary data in early 2022 through an original survey of our design on a sample of workers in 12 metropolitan areas. To address the challenges of analyzing the phenomenon in a still-developing context, we ask questions on both their actual and intended moving behavior in relation to remote work availability. Using a case–control study design, we find significant evidence that expecting to work remotely more frequently in the long term increases the likelihood of being interested in moving, or having done so already since the pandemic outbreak." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Jirjahn, Uwe & Cinzia Rienzo (2024): Working from Home and Performance Pay: Individual or Collective Payment Schemes? (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 17234), Bonn, 46 S.

Abstract

"Working from home reduces real-time visibility of employees within the physical space of the workplace. This makes it difficult to monitor employees' work behavior. Employers may instead monitor employees' outputs and provide incentives through performance pay. The crucial question is what type of performance pay employers provide to incentivize employees who work from home. Using British panel data, we find that working from home decreases the likelihood of solely receiving individual performance pay. It increases the likelihood of receiving collective performance pay – with or without individual performance pay. This pattern also holds in instrumental variable estimations accounting for endogeneity. Our findings fit theoretical considerations. Working from home means that employees have less opportunities to socialize at work entailing the tendency that they focus on personal achievement and neglect collaboration. Solely rewarding individual performance may reinforce this tendency. By contrast, employers reward collective performance as it counteracts the adverse effects of working from home by providing incentives for collaboration, helping on the job and information sharing." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Junça-Silva, Ana & António Caetano (2024): How good is teleworking? Development and validation of the tele attitude scale. In: Quality & quantity, Jg. 58, H. 5, S. 4941-4958. DOI:10.1007/s11135-024-01887-w

Abstract

"The objective of this study was to develop and validate a measure called the Tele Attitude Scale (TAS). This measure aims to evaluate relevant aspects of the teleworking experience related to its perceived effects regarding, for instance: job characteristics, perceived productivity, quality of work-related interactions, work-non-work balance, and well-being. Four studies were conducted between 2021 and 2022. First, a qualitative study was conducted to develop the scale (N = 80). Afterward, a second study to explore the scale’s factorial structure (N = 602) was developed. A third study served to analyze its internal validity and reliability (N = 232). A fourth study analyzed the criterion validity of the scale by exploring its correlations with measures of health, affect, and performance (N = 837 teleworkers). The findings revealed that the 10-item scale accounted for a unique factor and that it was a reliable measure. Moreover, the results also showed that the scale was significantly related to measures of health, affect, and performance, thus supporting its convergent and criterion validity. This research advances the knowledge about telework by proposing a user-friendly scale to measure teleworking, specifically how workers perceive their experience of it and how it may impact them at several levels. Thus, the TAS can not only fill a gap in the research but also help organizations evaluate and support teleworkers’ needs and subsequent satisfaction while teleworking." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Krause, Simon, Andreas Trumpp, Tobias Dichtl, Susanne Kiese & Alexander Rutsch (2024): Homeoffice und die Zukunft der Büros: Flexibilisierung, Reduzierung und Umnutzungspotenzial. In: Ifo-Schnelldienst, Jg. 77, H. 9, S. 64-68.

Abstract

"Die Etablierung von Homeoffice und hybriden Arbeitsmodellen veranlasst Unternehmen, ihre Bürokonzepte anzupassen, und hat damit erhebliche Auswirkungen auf den Büromarkt. Unsere Studie zeigt, dass Unternehmen ihre Flächen verkleinern, auf Desksharing setzen und Besprechungs- sowie Sozialräume ausbauen. Große Dienstleistungsunternehmen, die den Großteil der Bürofläche nutzen, sind dabei besonders aktiv, indem sie in moderne Standorte investieren, ihre Büroausstattung modernisieren und die IT-Infrastruktur verbessern. Fast jedes zweite dieser Unternehmen flexibilisiert die Büronutzung und verbessert die Ausstattung, ein Fünftel wechselt sogar mindestens einen Bürostandort. Angesichts des sinkenden Büroflächenbedarfs untersuchen wir Nachnutzungs- und Konversionspotenziale von Büroflächen, insbesondere die Umnutzung leerstehender Bürogebäude zu dringend benötigtem Wohnraum. Das technische und baurechtliche Potenzial für diese Umnutzungen liegt bei etwa 30%. Bezogen auf den aktuellen Leerstand zuzüglich des erwarteten Nachfragerückgangs wegen Homeoffice besteht in den Top-7-Städten (Berlin, Hamburg, München, Köln, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf) ein mittelfristiges Umnutzungspotenzial von 5,8 Mio. m2 Bürofläche. Daraus könnten bis zu 60 000 Wohnungen für rund 102 000 Menschen entstehen. Jedoch ist nur ein geringer Teil der möglichen Umnutzungen zu Wohnraum wirtschaftlich, weshalb für die Mehrheit der obsoleten Bürogebäude kreative Nachnutzungskonzepte gefragt sind." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Krause, Simon, Andreas Trumpp, Tobias Dichtl, Susanne Kiese & Alexander Rutsch (2024): The Impact of Working from Home on the German Office Real Estate Market. In: EconPol Forum, Jg. 25, H. 5, S. 52-59.

Zitatform

Leitner, Sandra M. (2024): Working from home and mental well-being at different stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. In: PLoS ONE, Jg. 19. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0312299

Abstract

"This paper analyses the relationship between working from home (WFH) and mental well-being at different stages during the first two critical years of the COVID-19 pandemic, when governments repeatedly imposed lockdowns and enacted WFH mandates to contain the spread of the virus. Using data from a representative survey conducted at four different time periods in 2020 (first lockdown, subsequent gradual reopening), 2021 (further lockdown) and 2022 (restrictions widely lifted) in the 27 EU member states, it examines the changing role of several mediators over time: work-family conflict, family-work conflict, stability, resilience, isolation, the importance of different support networks, workload, physical risk of contracting COVID-19 at work and housing conditions. For the first lockdown, it also differentiates by previous WFH experience, in terms of WFH novices and experienced WFH workers. It likewise differentiates by gender, in order to take the potential gendered nature of COVID-19 measures into account. The results point to several important mediators: for those who work from home, less family-work conflict and isolation, but greater stability, resilience, network support from family and friends, and superior housing conditions were associated with better mental well-being. The relevance of mediators was specific to certain stages of the pandemic. Stability was the most important mediator during the first lockdown. Work-family conflict and family-work conflict were only relevant during the first lockdown, while resilience and isolation mattered especially towards the end of the pandemic. Unlike established WFH workers, WFH novices had an advantage during the first lockdown, benefiting from lower family-work conflict and more helpful networks of family and friends. Our results differ by gender: for females who undertook WFH, important mediators were work-family conflict and family-work conflict. Both were related to adjustments they had to make in work and non-work hours in response to the enforced closure of schools and childcare facilities. For males who undertook WFH, support from networks of family and friends was an important mediator during the first lockdown." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Leitner, Sandra M. (2024): Working from Home and Mental Well-being in the EU at Different Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Gendered Look at Key Mediators. (WIIW working paper 244), Wien, 44 S.

Abstract

"This paper analyses the relationship between working from home (WFH) and mental well-being at different stages during the first two critical years of the COVID-19 pandemic, when governments repeatedly imposed lockdowns and enacted WFH mandates to contain the spread of the virus. Using data from a representative survey conducted at four different time periods in 2020 (first lockdown, subsequent gradual reopening), 2021 (further lockdown) and 2022 (restrictions widely lifted) in the 27 EU member states, it examines the potentially changing role of several mediators over time, such as work-family conflict, family-work conflict, stability, resilience, isolation, the importance of different support networks, workload, physical risk of contracting COVID-19 at work, and housing conditions. For the first lockdown, it also differentiates by previous WFH experience, in terms of WFH novices and experienced WFH workers. It differentiates by gender, in order to take the potential gendered nature and effect of COVID-19 measures into account. The results show that while there was no direct relationship between WFH and mental well-being, there are several important mediators whose relevance was specific not only to certain stages of the pandemic, but also to previous experience with WFH and gender. Stability is the only mediator that was relevant over the entire two-year pandemic period. Work-family conflict and family-work conflict were only relevant during the first lockdown, while resilience and isolation mattered especially when most of the EU economies had lifted most of their restrictions. Unlike established WFH workers, WFH novices had an advantage during the first lockdown, benefiting from lower family-work conflict and more helpful networks of family and friends. Moreover, our results differ by gender for females who undertook WFH, important mediators were work-family conflict and family-work conflict. Both were related to adjustments they had to make in work and non-work" (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Leonardi, Paul M., Sienna Helena Parker & Roni Shen (2024): How Remote Work Changes the World of Work. In: Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, Jg. 11, H. 1, S. 193-219. DOI:10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-091922-015852

Abstract

"Remote work is typically characterized as work that is done at some physical distance from the office. Existing research has shown that the main elements of this characterization - physical distance and the Office - are far more complex than most people realize. This review develops a framework that refracts the concept of remote work into four types of distance - psychological, temporal, technological, and structural - and three objects from which one can be distant - material resources, social resources, and symbolic resources. We then use this refraction framework to answer five questions about the way remote work is changing the future of work: (a) Who will work remotely? (b) Where will people work remotely? (c) When will people work remotely? ( d) Why will people work remotely? and (e) How will people work remotely? After demonstrating how existing research can help us answer these questions, we discuss important avenues for future investigation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Lippe, Tanja van der, Laura den Dulk & Katia Begall (2024): Flextime/Flexspace for All in the Organization? A Study of the Availability, Use, and Consequences of Flexible Work Arrangements for Low and High SES Employees in Nine European Countries. In: Social Sciences, Jg. 13, H. 4. DOI:10.3390/socsci13040200

Abstract

"This article investigates the relationship between employee socioeconomic status (SES) and the availability, use, and consequences for employees of flexible work arrangements (working from home and flexible starting and finishing times). Multi-level analyses based on the European Sustainable Workforce Survey (11,011 employees nested in 869 teams at 259 organizations in nine European countries) reveal a negative relationship between low SES employees and the availability of working from home. Lower-status employees also perceive working from home and flexible work times as less available to them and use these arrangements less than higher-status employees. Findings suggest similar outcomes of use for both groups. We found almost no differences between lower and higher SES employees in how using flexible work arrangements affected performance, commitment, and work–life conflict." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Marcén, Miriam & Marina Morales (2024): The effect of COVID-19 on the gender gap in remote work. (GLO discussion paper / Global Labor Organization 1379), Essen, 55 S.

Abstract

"We examine changes in the gender gap in working from home (WFH) in response to the unanticipated first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using data from the American Time Use Survey, we find a non-negligible widening of the gender gap with WFH being more prevalent among women than among men. Respondents' job traits played a significant role in the gender gap variations, those working in the private sector being the most affected. Young individuals, those more educated, and those living with a dependent person increased the gender gap more in terms of the proportion of time devoted to WFH. We further show evidence suggesting the mitigating effect of non-pharmaceutical interventions during the first wave of the pandemic, positively affecting the WFH tendency for men but not for women. Overall, the gender gap change proves robust to identification checks. In addition, the gender gap response has had a long-lasting impact on the gender gap." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Mergener, Alexandra, Timothy Rinke & Ines Entgelmeier (2024): Is More Really More? Evidence of a Curvilinear Relationship between the Extent of Telework and Employees’ Temporal Alignment of Work and Private Life in Germany. In: Social Sciences, Jg. 13, H. 10. DOI:10.3390/socsci13100508

Abstract

"Studies exploring not only whether, but also to what extent, telework can improve employees’ ability to coordinate private and work-related demands are largely absent. Using a probability-based large-scale survey of employees in Germany (N = 14,999), this study provides evidence of an inverted U-shaped relationship between the extent of telework and employees’ temporal alignment of work and private life, i.e., their success in considering personal and family matters when scheduling work. When telework comprised up to 40 percent of the total working time, employees were observed to temporally align their work and private life better than those who only worked on-site. Additional analyses indicated that particularly men, and even more so fathers, experience improved work and private life alignment with frequent teleworking. For women with and without children, however, highly extensive teleworking not only loses its positive effect, but is associated with less success in aligning work and private life compared to non-teleworking. To be able to benefit from telework, even when it is used extensively, clear rules are needed, for example, regarding expectations of accessibility for paid work as well as for home and care work." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Mergener, Alexandra (2024): Homeoffice – Arbeit im Spannungsfeld zwischen Autonomie und mentaler Distanzierung. In: Berufsbildung in Wissenschaft und Praxis, Jg. 53, H. 3, S. 29-32.

Abstract

"Das Arbeitsmodell Homeoffice erlangt auf dem deutschen Arbeitsmarkt zunehmende Bedeutung. Was heißt das für die Arbeitsbedingungen und -anforderungen von Beschäftigten? Dieser Frage geht der Beitrag anhand von Daten der BIBB/BAuA-Erwerbstätigenbefragung 2018 nach. Gezeigt wird, inwiefern Beschäftigte, die Homeoffice nutzen, mit mehr Arbeitsautonomie und größeren Schwierigkeiten beim Abschalten von der Arbeit konfrontiert sind." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)

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Mišič, Luka & Grega Strban (2024): Atypical work and residence in cross-border situations: The coordination of unemployment benefits. In: European Journal of Social Security, Jg. 26, H. 2, S. 266-283. DOI:10.1177/13882627241255023

Abstract

"This article analyses the potential challenges related to the coordination of unemployment benefits under European Union law for persons whose employment or other economic activities and living arrangements are, in one way or another, dispersed across the territories of several EU Member States. Starting from the traditional cases of frontier workers and other cross-border (or mobile) workers, on the one hand, and remote work or telework, on the other, the article looks at the potential future of free movement in the EU under Regulation (EC) No. 883/2004 and its implementing regulation, Regulation (EC) No. 987/2009. New forms of work and work organisation, alongside new mobility and residency patterns, challenge the basic rules of lex loci laboris (the country of employment is competent) and lex loci domicilii (the country of residence is competent), especially when they collide in a single case. At the same time, unemployment benefits, which are at the heart of this debate, still remain subject to specific coordination (e.g. competence) rules that depart from the general legislation, possibly making effective provision in such cases even more difficult. The article gives a diverse collection of theoretical examples in which cross-border situations are either in themselves atypical and complex, or accompanied and made possible by new forms of work or work organisation, causing specific problems for the adequate and appropriate provision of unemployment benefits." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Moens, Eline, Louis Lippens, Liam D'hert & Stijn Baert (2024): Speeding Up on the Learning Curve: The Evaluation of Telework Following a Surge in Telework Experience. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 16900), Bonn, 41 S.

Abstract

"This letter adds to the literature on the importance of telework experience in employee evaluation by leveraging the telework experience accumulated during the COVID-19 crisis. We conducted a follow-up survey on the evaluation of telework exactly three years after our initial data collection in 2020. We find evidence of a learning curve regarding self-reported i) efficiency in performing tasks, ii) work-life balance, and iii) concentration during work, characterised by a more positive evaluation as telework experience increased. Migration background, feedback on the job, and compatibility of the job with telework moderate the effect of telework experience on the evaluation of telework over time." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Nagler, Markus, Johannes Rincke & Erwin Winkler (2024): Working from home, commuting, and gender. In: Journal of Population Economics, Jg. 37. DOI:10.1007/s00148-024-01035-6

Abstract

"Work from home (WFH) arrangements may provide an opportunity to reduce gender gaps in labor market outcomes by reducing the gender differences in the willingness to commute. Using a stated-preference experiment among German employees, we estimate workers’ valuation of working from home and its impact on willingness-to-pay to avoid commuting by gender after the end of the COVID pandemic. We show that workers are willing to give up 7.7% of their earnings for full WFH and 5.4% for 2-day WFH on average. The willingness-to-pay for WFH steeply increases with commuting distance, in line with WFH reducing the need for long commutes for many workers. Importantly, we find that WFH reduces, but does not close, the gender gap in willingness-to-pay to avoid commuting. This result is unaffected by accounting for underage children in the household. This suggests that hopes of technology closing the gender wage gap are premature." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Nowrouzi-Kia, Behdin, Alexia M. Haritos, Bao-Zhu Stephanie Long, Chantal Atikian, Luke A. Fiorini, Basem Gohar, Aaron Howe, Yiyan Li & Ali Bani-Fatemi (2024): Remote work transition amidst COVID-19: Impacts on presenteeism, absenteeism, and worker well-being - A scoping review. In: PLoS ONE, Jg. 19. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0307087

Abstract

"Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the transition to remote work, leading to increased attention on presenteeism and absenteeism among remote workers. Understanding the implications of these phenomena on worker health and productivity is crucial for optimizing remote work arrangements and developing policies to improve employee well-being. Objectives: This scoping review aims to examine the occurrence of presenteeism and absenteeism among remote workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and the interrelated physical and mental health issues during these periods. Methods: PsycINFO, Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Eric, Business Source Premier, SCOPUS, and sociological abstracts were searched resulting in 1792 articles. Articles were included if the population of interest was 18+ (i.e., working age), engaged in full or part-time work, and the employees shifted from in-person to remote work due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All study designs, geographical areas, and papers written post-onset of the COVID-19 pandemic were included; however, systematic reviews were excluded. Data was charted into Microsoft Excel by 2 independent reviewers. Results: The literature search identified 10 studies (i.e., seven cross-sectional studies, two qualitative studies, and one observational study). Five major overarching themes were identified specifically (1) telework and mental health (2) telework and physical health (3) worker benefits (4) gender dynamics and (5) difficulty navigating the teleworking environment. While remote work offers flexibility in terms of saved commute time and flexible work schedules, it also exacerbates challenges related to presenteeism, absenteeism, and work-life balance. These challenges include experiencing psychological distress, depression, anxiety, stress, sleep deprivation, musculoskeletal pain, difficulties concentrating at work for both women and working parents, struggles disconnecting after hours, and the inability to delineate between the work and home environment. Discussion: The findings suggest that remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic has both positive and negative implications for worker well-being and productivity. However, future research needs to incorporate the potential effects of telework frequency (full time vs. part time) on employee productivity and its role on presenteeism and absenteeism, to gain a more comprehensive understanding on remote work difficulties. Addressing these challenges requires proactive interventions and support mechanisms to promote worker health and productivity in remote settings." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Peñarroja, Vicente (2024): Are there differences in the perceived advantages and disadvantages of teleworking? The identification of distinct classes of teleworkers. In: International Journal of Manpower, Jg. 45, H. 10, S. 1-15. DOI:10.1108/IJM-07-2023-0416

Abstract

"Purpose: Previous research has focused on the outcomes of telework, investigating the advantages and disadvantages of teleworking for employees. However, these investigations do not examine whether there are differences between teleworkers when evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of teleworking. The aim of this study is to identify of distinct classes of teleworkers based on the advantages and disadvantages that teleworking has for them. Design/methodology/Approach: This study used secondary survey data collected by the Spanish National Statistics Institute (INE). A sample of 842 people was used for this study. To identify the distinct classes of teleworkers, their perceived advantages and disadvantages of teleworking were analyzed using latent class analysis. Findings: Three different classes of teleworkers were distinguished. Furthermore, sociodemographic covariates were incorporated into the latent class model, revealing that the composition of the classes varied in terms of education level, household income, and the amount of time spent on teleworking per week. This study also examined the influence of these emergent classes on employees’ experience of teleworking. Originality/value: This study contributes to previous research investigating if telework is advantageous or disadvantageous for teleworkers, acknowledging that teleworkers are not identical and may respond differently to teleworking." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Emerald Group) ((en))

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Pierenkemper, Sarah, Jennifer Potthoff & Oliver Stettes (2024): Workation: Chancen und Herausforderungen. (IW-Kurzberichte / Institut der Deutschen Wirtschaft Köln 2024,28), Köln, 3 S.

Abstract

"Die Möglichkeit aus dem Ausland zu arbeiten ist Wunsch vieler Beschäftigten. Rund 15 Prozent der deutschen Unternehmen bieten ihren Mitarbeitenden derzeit die Möglichkeit einer Workation an. Gründe für die geringe Verbreitung sind neben den allgemeinen Herausforderungen des mobilen Arbeitens zusätzliche arbeits-, sozial- und steuerrechtliche Hürden. Um Workations rechtssicher zu ermöglichen, bedarf es einer guten Vorbereitung einschließlich der Berücksichtigung rechtlicher Risiken." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)

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Ramani, Arjun, Joel Alcedo & Nicholas Bloom (2024): How working from home reshapes cities. In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Jg. 121, H. 45. DOI:10.1073/pnas.2408930121

Abstract

"In recent decades, economic activity has become increasingly concentrated in major global metropolises. Yet, the rise of working from home threatens this dominance of cities. Using multiple high-frequency datasets on spending, commuting, migration, and housing, we provide global evidence that remote work has dispersed economic activity away from city centers. We label this the “Donut Effect,” which is much larger and more persistent in cities with high levels of remote work. Using detailed household microdata from the United States, we show that three-fifths of households that left city centers in big cities moved to the suburbs of the same city. This is likely explained by the rise of hybrid work, in which employees still commute to the office a few days a week. The enduring popularity of hybrid work into 2024 suggests that the Donut Effect will persist while also leaving broader metropolitan areas intact." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))