Satisfaction with working from home during COVID-19 pandemic

Autori:

Roko Žaja, Azra Huršidić Radulović

Sažetak

Na početku pandemije bolesti COVID-19 drastično se povećao broj osoba koje su radile od kuće. Novi uvjeti rada nisu bili standardizirani, a radna učinkovitost ovisila je o mogućnosti odvajanja radnih od kućanskih i obiteljskih obveza. Iako nema čvrstih dokaza o negativnom utjecaju rada od kuće na zdravlje radnika u pandemiji, uočeno je da su žene bile umornije ili depresivnije od muškaraca, dok su muškarci bolje održavali balans između privatnog i radnog vremena. Cilj ovoga istraživanja bio je utvrditi zadovoljstvo hrvatskih radnika koji su započeli raditi od kuće na početku pandemije bolesti COVID-19 te ispitati povezanost zadovoljstva s dobi i spolom. Radi se o presječnom istraživanju, u koje su bila uključena 232 (121 muških i 111 ženskih) zaposlenika jedne telekomunikacijske tvrtke. Korišten je prigodni upitnik, koji je svaki sudionik ispunio jednom, odmah nakon isteka osam mjeseci rada od kuće. Većina (59,9%) sudionika bila je zadovoljna tijekom rada od kuće. Nije nađena razlika u
zadovoljstvu između muškaraca i žena (χ2(1)=1,179, P=0,278) te mlađih i starijih sudionika (U=6347,0, P=0,821). Nezadovoljstvo sudionika bilo je povezano s duljim radom (χ2(2)=14,015, P<0,001), ometanjem ukućana u radu (χ2(2)=14,601, P<0,001) i nemogućnošću odvajanja privatnog od radnog vremena (χ2(1)=28,917, P<0,001). Značajno više muškaraca (79,3%) u odnosu na žene (67,6%) smatralo je da može odvojiti radno od privatnog vremena, χ2(1)=4,139, P=0,042. Većina (89,0%) sudionika htjela bi nastaviti raditi od kuće stalno (27,1%) ili povremeno (72,9%) nakon prestanka pandemije. Radnici koji nisu zadovoljni radom od kuće ili otežano odvajaju radno od privatnog vremena trebali bi unaprijediti kvalitetu prostora i sredstava za rad od kuće, uskladiti kućanske i obiteljske obveze s radnim obvezama ili razmotriti povratak na uobičajeno mjesto rada
neovisno o dobi i spolu.

Summary

At the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic, the number of people who worked from home increased drastically. New working conditions were not standardized, and work efficiency depended on the possibility of separating work from household and family obligations. Although there is no solid evidence of the negative impact of remote work on the workers’ health during the pandemic, it was observed that women were more tired or depressed than men, while men maintained a better balance between private and work time. The aim of this research was to determine the satisfaction of Croatian workers who started working from home at the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic, and to examine the relationship between satisfaction and age and gender. It is a crosssectional study, in which 232 (121 male and 111 female) employees of a telecommunications company were involved. Each participant filled out a questionnaire once, immediately after eight months of working from home. The majority (59.9%) of the participants were satisfied while working from home. No difference in satisfaction was found between men and women (χ2(1)=1.179, P=0.278) and younger and older participants (U=6347.0, P=0.821). Dissatisfaction of the participants was related to longer working hours (χ2(2)=14.015, P<0.001), disturbance by household members (χ2(2)=14.601, P<0.001) and inability to separate private from work time (χ2(1)= 28.917, P<0.001). Significantly more men (79.3%) compared to women (67.6%) believed they could separate work from private time, (χ2(1)=4.139, P=0.042). The majority (89.0%) of participants would like to continue working from home permanently (27.1%) or occasionally (72.9%) after the end of the pandemic. Workers who are not satisfied with remote work or find it difficult to separate work from private time should improve the quality of working environment in homes, harmonize household and family obligations with work obligations or consider returning to their usual place of work regardless of age and gender.