Working from home adds to stress, study finds
Indeed, part-time work is possibly the most ideal option, emerging as the kind of arrangement with the strongest positive impact on employee well-being, reducing work/life conflict and pressure significantly, according to a study by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
However, it inevitably means significantly lower pay levels and less autonomy.
The study — Workplace Equality in the Recession — which looks at the incidence and impact of equality policies and flexible working — found while employees who work from home tend to have higher earnings, it can be seen as a form of “work intensification” rather than promoting any great work/life balance.
The study found women are much more likely than men to work part-time and are also more likely to job share. Overall, some 30% of employees work flexible hours, including flexitime, and 25% work part-time. Approximately 12% regularly work from home in normal working hours, and 9% are involved in job sharing.
The researchers found a marked increase in flexible working arrangements since 2003, both in terms of the number of workplaces operating such arrangements and the participation of employees.
Employees who regularly work from home tend to have higher earnings and enjoy greater autonomy, though this is largely accounted for by the types of jobs they do.
Organisations that offer flexible working arrangements are more likely to have higher job satisfaction levels and increased output innovation.
Employees who work in organisations where flexible working hours are available have lower work pressure and less work/life conflict.
One of the study’s authors, Dr Frances McGinnity, said while the recession has created many challenges for employers “we find no evidence in the period up to the end of 2009 that employers have responded by reducing formal equality policies, or limiting the availability of flexible working options”.
“This is likely to be good for employees, given their generally positive link to employee well-being, and for the organisations for which they work.”
