Can Occupational Safety and Health Preventive Measures Taken by the Employer Influence Sleep Disturbances in Teleworkers? Results from the Quantitative Study on Working Life with COVID-19 in Latvia

Abstract

This research on sleep disturbances emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our study investigated the association between self-reported sleep disturbances among teleworkers and the preventive measures employers took to improve their working environment. Answers obtained via a web survey gathered from 1086 teleworkers (517 in the spring of 2021 and 569 in the spring of 2022) were analysed. The odds of self-reported sleep disturbances were significantly higher for all preventive measures in the group of respondents reporting a lack of a particular measure. The highest odds ratios were observed for the statement "My employer identified conditions where I am teleworking" (adjusted OR = 2.98, 95% CI 2.10-4.23) and "Online team-building events were organised" (adjusted OR = 2.85, 95% CI 1.88-4.35). The results of our study have revealed that workplace interventions that serve as a mediator for sleep disorders, even if they are not directly targeted at managing sleep disturbances or stress, can reduce the number of teleworkers reporting sleep disturbances. According to our knowledge, this is the first study reporting the effectiveness of employer interventions that help teleworkers manage their sleep disturbances.

Keywords: distance work; occupational health and safety; quality; sleep; sleep disturbances; telework.

Figure 1

Timeline of emergency states and surveys.

Figure 2

Flowchart of the sample of teleworkers used for this analysis.