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BMC Public Health
Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2022

Open Access 01-12-2022 | COVID-19 | Research

Mental and physical health and well-being of Canadian employees who were working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic

Authors: Kumara G. Somasundram, Amy Hackney, Marcus Yung, Bronson Du, Jodi Oakman, Behdin Nowrouzi-Kia, Amin Yazdani

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2022

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Abstract

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed various aspects of our lives, including how we work. Since the start of the pandemic, numerous organizations in Canada have mandated their employees to work from home (WFH) on a full-time basis. The rapid rise in the number of remote workers and the possibility for WFH continuing in the future signifies the importance of understanding the health and well-being of employees working from home over the course of the pandemic in Canada. We present the findings of two surveys (initial and 6-month follow-up) to examine the health and well-being of WFH employees during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. We analyzed the changes in mental and physical health and well-being of employees who were working from home between two time points during the pandemic.

Methods

Initial survey was completed between October 2020 and December 2020 (n = 1617); follow-up survey was completed between May 2021 and June 2021 (n = 382). We calculated the frequencies for survey questions involving demographics, WFH preferences, workstation setup training, employment situation, provision of hardware technologies, provision and usage of software technologies, and organization’s return to work plan. We conducted Wilcoxon signed-rank tests to analyze the within-individual changes in mental and physical health and well-being of the 382 respondents who completed both the initial and follow-up surveys.

Results

Our analyses showed significant changes in various aspects of employee mental and physical health and well-being. Burnout, stress, general mental health, and job insecurity levels significantly decreased between the two time periods. Work-related sedentary behaviour reduced over time; however, the average proportion of time spent sitting during work hours was more than 80% in both surveys. Employees received more help and feedback from their colleagues and experienced a better sense of community with their co-workers over time.

Conclusion

The findings can inform workers and organizations on the changes in mental and physical health and well-being of employees working from home during the pandemic. By understanding the changes in worker health and well-being, employers can develop effective strategies and implement policies that help protect employees’ health and well-being.
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Metadata
Title
Mental and physical health and well-being of Canadian employees who were working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors
Kumara G. Somasundram
Amy Hackney
Marcus Yung
Bronson Du
Jodi Oakman
Behdin Nowrouzi-Kia
Amin Yazdani
Publication date
01-12-2022
Publisher
BioMed Central
Keyword
COVID-19
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2022
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-14349-5

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