In the first of the PrOPEL Hub’s International Research Series chaired by Professor Colin Lindsay, leading academics Professor Jari Hakanen and Dr Janne Kaltiainen from the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health discuss the impact of the rise of homeworking and teleworking on employee experience and wellbeing.
Professor Jari Hakanen and Dr Janne Kaltiainen focus on Finland, which has seen one of the highest increases in teleworking in Europe. They draw out variations in engagement, job boredom and burnout across different groups of workers before and during Covid-19, highlighting that:
- Changes in employee well-being during Covid-19 have been relatively small.
- However, there is a concerning overall decline in wellbeing from June 2020 to late autumn 2020, with this being most marked among the youngest age group surveyed – under 36 year olds.
- Employees in single households appear to be the most vulnerable to the negative impacts of forced teleworking.
Jari and Janne finish by pointing to practical steps which can boost engagement, such as staying in touch with colleagues, providing social support and feedback, exploring new learning challenges, and building rest and recovery time into the workday.
The slides from the presentation can be downloaded here:
Professor Jari Hakanen is a Research Professor at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health.
Dr Janne Kaltiainen is a Specialist Researcher at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health