Association between work from home and health-related productivity loss among Korean employees

Abstract

Background: After the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, the widespread adoption of working from home, or teleworking, has prompted extensive research regarding its effects on work productivity and the physical and mental health of employees. In this context, our study aimed to investigate the association between working from home and health-related productivity loss (HRPL).

Methods: An online survey was conducted with a sample of 1,078 workers. HRPL was estimated by the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire: General Health version. Workers that have been working from home in the last 6 months were categorized into the "work from home" group. Generalized linear models were used to compare the mean difference of HRPL between "work from home" and "commuters" group. Stratified analyses were conducted based on various factors including gender, age, income level, occupation, education level, previous diagnosis of chronic disease, presence of preschool children, living in studio apartment, living alone, commuting time, working hours and regular exercise.

Results: The overall HRPL was higher in the "work from home" group than in the "commuters" group with a mean difference of 4.05 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.09-8.01). In the stratified analyses, significant differences were observed in workers with chronic diseases (mean difference: 8.23, 95% CI: 0.38-16.09), who do not live alone (mean difference: 4.84, 95% CI: 0.35-9.33), and workers that do not exercise regularly (mean difference: 4.96, 95% CI: 0.12-9.80).

Conclusions: Working from home is associated with an increased HRPL in the Korean working population, especially among those with chronic diseases, those who do not live alone, and those who do not exercise regularly.

Keywords: Absenteeism; Presenteeism; Remote working; Telework.