Work-Related Stress of Work from Home with Housemates Based on Residential Types

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on work environments. Many workers have been requested or instructed to work from home (WFH). This study aimed to clarify the work-related stress of WFH regarding housemates based on residential types during the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted a web-based questionnaire survey of 500 workers living with housemates in Osaka Prefecture. The WFH environments were analyzed on the basis of high-stress workers (HSWs), which accounted for 17.4% of all subjects, according to three major types of residences in Japan. The main finding is that HSWs with housemates had problems related to noise regardless of the type of residence. This study of workers living with housemates in an urban area contrasts with the findings of preceding study, which found that satisfaction with noise in the environment was higher at home than in the office. HSWs in detached houses and condominium apartments had problems with the levels of noise created by their housemates. The residents living in these types of residences were found to be relatively older, thus potentially having older children who would require a certain level of privacy. WFH workers with insufficient privacy were unable to adapt to WFH environments and suffered from high stress.

Working environment at home and mental health in employees working from home in Japan during COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study

“…Interference from noise or odor was significantly associated with high psychosomatic symptoms. A previous study during the COVID‐19 pandemic among Japanese workers working from home reported that workers with housemates showed high‐stress reactions if the noise from housemates interfered with their work 3 . In our study, the item related to family members did not show a significant association with outcomes.…”

“…Poor environmental factors can influence employees' mental health. Previous studies examined factors such as noise at home, 3 lightning at the office, 4 and poor air quality in an experimental environment 5 . Lack of acoustic and visual privacy, inadequate thermal conditions, and lack of control over various environmental factors decreased employees' environmental satisfaction 6 .…”

Uticaj pandemije na digitalnu transformaciju u oblasti organizacije poslovanja u preduzećima u Srbiji

“…Iako rad licem u lice ima svoje prednosti, kao što je laka i efikasna komunikacija, on takođe ima i nedostatke, kao što je neprijatnost ograničenosti prostorom i vremenom, kao i stresom zaposlenih koji je vezan za putovanje na posao. Široka upotreba širokopojasnih veza i računara kao i audio i vizuelnih interfejsa učinila je daljinsku komunikaciju prihvatljivom bez interakcije licem u lice (Natomi et al, 2022). U početku, nekim osobama može predstavljati problem da razdvoje lični i poslovni život kada ne odlaze u kancelariju i da uspostave ravnotežu, ali postoje tehnike koje omogućavaju lakše razdvajanje ove dve sfere (DiNardi, 2022).…”

Prediction of Work from Home and Musculoskeletal Discomfort: An Investigation of Ergonomic Factors in Work Arrangements and Home Workstation Setups Using the COVID-19 Experience

“…Recent studies reported positive and negative outcomes of WFH in different home working arrangements and home conditions [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ]. On the positive side, at the personal level, studies reported lower time pressure [ 19 ], better control of work schedules [ 17 ], higher work motivation [ 20 ], higher life satisfaction [ 21 ], and less work-family conflict [ 19 ].…”

“…On the negative side, teleworkers perceived lower subjective well-being [ 18 , 23 ], lower psychological well-being [ 24 ], negative relationships with co-workers [ 17 ], and conflict within the organization [ 25 ]. Teleworker stress level results have been controversial because some teleworkers reported higher stress levels [ 16 , 18 , 23 , 24 , 25 ], whereas others reported lower stress levels [ 22 , 26 ].…”