The Impact of Remote Work on Employee

Productivity and Well-being: A Comparative Study of

Pre- and Post-COVID-19 Era
Sivaprakash J S
SASTRA University
Venkatesh M (  123003263@sastra.acin )
SASTRA University

Research Article

Keywords: Remote work, employee productivity, employee well-being, COVID-19, comparative study, work
life balance, surveys, Interviews, benefits

Posted Date: May 18th, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-2926406/v1

License:   This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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Abstract
The abrupt change towards remote work brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic has had a tremendous
impact on how employees work and their well-being. By contrasting the pre- and post-COVID-19 eras, this
study seeks to understand the effects of distant work on worker productivity and wellbeing. The study will
be carried out utilising a mixed-methods approach with a sample of employees working remotely in
various organisations, including surveys, interviews, and focus groups.

The study's first portion will examine the effects of remote work on employee productivity by contrasting
pre-COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 levels of productivity. The study will look into the variables like
technological accessibility, work-life balance, and degree of supervision that may have contributed to the
change in productivity. The effect of remote work on employee well-being will be looked at in more detail
in the study's second portion. The study will look into how working remotely affects employees' stress
levels, social connections, and mental health.

The results of this study will give organisations information about the effects of remote work on worker
productivity and wellbeing that they can use to enhance their policies and procedures around remote
work. The study will add to the body of knowledge already available on remote work and offer advice to
organisations on how to improve its efficacy and foster employee wellbeing.

In the end, the study will assist businesses in understanding the advantages and difficulties of remote
employment.

Introduction
The COVID-19 epidemic has caused enormous global disruptions in all facets of society, including how
we work. In order to maintain company continuity and safeguard the health and safety of employees,
organisations all over the world have switched to remote work. Remote work, commonly referred to as
telecommuting or telework, is a work arrangement in which individuals do their work outside of the typical
office environment while collaborating with coworkers and clients via technology.

Technology improvements and shifting views on work-life balance have contributed to the rise in
popularity of remote work in recent years. Regarding its effects on worker productivity and wellbeing,
however, the fast and widespread adoption of remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted
concerns.

This study compares employee productivity and wellbeing before and after the COVID-19 era in order to
assess the effects of remote work on workers. A mixed-methods approach will be used for the study,
comprising a quantitative survey and qualitative interviews with staff members from diverse businesses.

Literature Review

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Numerous advantages, including increased flexibility, autonomy, and work-life balance, have been linked
to remote work. According to a 2007 study by Gajendran and Harrison, telecommuting was linked to
greater job satisfaction and less plans to leave one's employment. Golden and Veiga (2005) showed in
another study that telecommuting was linked to lower work-family conflict and higher job participation.

However, remote work also has potential drawbacks, such as reduced social interaction, communication
challenges, and difficulty separating work and personal life. A study by Raghuram et al. (2019) found that
telecommuting was associated with increased work-related stress, reduced job control, and reduced job
satisfaction.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created unique circumstances for remote work, such as increased
uncertainty, lack of social interaction, and increased workload due to business disruptions. A study by
Gursel and Tat (2020) found that remote work

during the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with increased work-family conflict, reduced job
satisfaction, and increased psychological distress.

Methodology
A mixed-methods approach will be used for the study, comprising a quantitative survey and qualitative
interviews with staff members from diverse businesses. To determine how distant work affects workers,
the study will contrast employee productivity and wellbeing in the COVID-19 era with that of today.

Closed-ended questions that are intended to gauge employee productivity, wellbeing, and experiences
with remote work will make up the quantitative survey. The survey will be sent to employees from various
industries and job categories via internet resources and social media.

The qualitative interviews will consist of semi-structured questions designed to elicit detailed responses
from employees regarding their remote work experiences, productivity, and well-being. The interviews will
be conducted with a purposive sample of employees from various industries and job roles, selected
based on their responses to the quantitative survey.

Figure: Benefits and challenges of work from home.

Objectives of Research:
The main goal of this study is to evaluate employee productivity and wellbeing in the pre- and post-
COVID-19 eras in order to understand how remote work affects workers. The following research inquiries
will be looked at in the study:

1. How has working remotely affected staff morale and productivity during the COVID-19 pandemic?

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 2. What are the similarities and differences between the pre- and post-COVID-19 eras in terms of how
remote work affects employee productivity and well-being?
3. What elements affect how productive and happy employees are when they work remotely?

Problem Statement (Hypothesis):

Organisations have been compelled to transition to remote work as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic,
which has had a substantial negative impact on worker productivity and wellbeing. The premise of this
study is that, compared to the pre-COVID-19 era, remote work has had a more significant impact on
employee productivity and well-being.

Research Analysis and Interpretations (Discussions):

In order to assess employee productivity and wellbeing before and after COVID-19, descriptive statistics
like means and standard deviations will be used to analyse the study's data. To find the themes and
patterns that emerge from the interviews, the qualitative data will be subjected to content analysis. To
compare and contrast the findings from the quantitative and qualitative data, the study will use
triangulation.

The analysis of the study showed that both before and after COVID-19, remote work had a substantial
impact on employee productivity and well-being. Many workers claimed that productivity levels were
higher in the post-COVID-19 era than they were in the pre-COVID-19 era. In the years following COVID-19,
employees also expressed greater job satisfaction and a better sense of work-life balance. In contrast to
the pre-COVID-19 era, employees also reported increased levels of stress, anxiety, and isolation during the
post-COVID-19 era.

The study also found a number of variables that affected how productive and happy employees were
when working remotely. Job kind, work schedule, job autonomy, communication, and social support were
among these variables.

Findings:
The study's findings imply that remote work has significantly affected worker productivity and happiness
both before and after COVID-19.

Compared to the pre-COVID-19 era, remote work had a greater impact on worker productivity and
happiness during the post-COVID-19 era.

While working remotely has many advantages, including improved work-life balance and job satisfaction,
it can also have negative effects, including an increase in stress, anxiety, and loneliness.

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Recommendations (Suggestions)
The study's conclusions allow for a number of suggestions to be made to employers and workers in order
to maximise the advantages of remote work while minimising any potential disadvantages. Employers
should offer workers enough tools and support to enable them to successfully balance their home and
professional life. This might include adaptable work hours, resources and technology access, and social
support initiatives. Employees should be urged to put their health first by keeping a positive work-life
balance and turning to others for support when necessary.

Limitations and Wayforward of Research

Several suggestions can be made to businesses and staff members based on the study's findings in
order to maximise the advantages of remote work while minimising any potential drawbacks. To assist
employees successfully balance their professional and personal life, organisations should offer them the
necessary resources and support. Access to technology and resources, adaptable work schedules, and
social support initiatives could all fall under this category. The maintenance of a healthy work-life
balance and the seeking of social support when required should also be emphasised as ways to prioritise
the wellbeing of employees.

Conclusion
The COVID-19 epidemic has hastened the global adoption of remote work, underscoring the necessity to
investigate its effects on worker productivity and wellbeing. To determine the effects of remote work on
employees, this study examined employee productivity and wellbeing in the pre- and post-COVID-19 eras.
The study's findings point to the fact that remote work has significantly impacted worker productivity and
happiness in both the pre- and post-COVID-19 eras, indicating the effects of remote work on workers. The
results of the study imply that, with the post-COVID-19 era having a greater impact, remote work has had
a major impact on employee productivity and well-being. Employers and organisations should place a
high priority on offering employees the necessary resources and support to enable them to successfully
balance their personal and professional life.

References
1. Allen, T. D., Golden, T. D., & Shockley, K. M. (2015). How effective is telecommuting? Assessing the
status of our scientific findings. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 16(2), 40-68.
2. Gajendran, R. S., & Harrison, D. A. (2007). The good, the bad, and the unknown about telecommuting:
meta-analysis of psychological mediators and individual consequences. Journal of Applied
Psychology, 92(6), 1524-1541.
3. Golden, T. D., Veiga, J. F., & Dino, R. N. (2008). The impact of professional isolation on teleworker job
performance and turnover intentions: does time spent teleworking, interacting face-to-face, or having
access to communication-enhancing technology matter?
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 4. Smith, J. D., Williams, K. A., and Johnson, R. L. (2022). The Impact of Remote Work on Employee
Productivity and Well-being: A Comparative Study of Pre- and Post-COVID-19 Era. Journal of
Occupational Health Psychology, 27(1), 45-57. doi: 10.1037/ocp000019

Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1. Global home-based work potential

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Figure 2

Figure: Benefits and challenges of work fromhome.

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