Work - Volume 71, issue 2

Authors: Kumaresan, A. | Suganthirababu, Prathap | Srinivasan, Vignesh | Vijay Chandhini, Y. | Divyalaxmi, P. | Alagesan, Jagatheesan | Vishnuram, Surya | Ramana, K. | Prathap, Lavanya

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Many countries adopted a complete or partial lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and various professions started to work-from-home. People who work-from-home experience constant stress which leads to burnout syndrome. Burnout can be defined as a chronic stress-induced occupational syndrome resulting in fatigue, decreased job productivity, and poor motivation towards the job. OBJECTIVE: This research work primarily focuses on exploring the prevalence of burnout syndrome among IT professionals who work-from-home and to determine the impact of burnout in different gender and age-groups during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Using snowball sampling method 934 IT professionals …were selected based on selection criteria, explained about the study processes, and instructed to submit an online survey consist of Maslach Burnout Inventory scale (MBI) through mail, social media, or through a researcher by direct interview. RESULTS: Descriptive statistics were used to interpret the data. In 25–30 years age-group, men were affected (93%) less than women (94%) and also in 31–35 years age-group, men were affected (96%) less than women (98%). Overall burnout scores of men were 94% and women were 96%. Results indicate female IT professionals were more prone experience burnout syndrome than Male population. CONCLUSIONS: From the results, it is concluded that 95% of the IT professionals are suffering from burnout, where women are more prevalent to burnout when compared to male. It is also suggested that an early, routine and frequent assessment of physical status, mental status and burnout syndrome is essential to maintain mental health. Show more

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-211040

Citation: Work, vol. 71, no. 2, pp. 379-384, 2022

Authors: Abbott-Gaffney, Cynthia R. | Gafni-Lachter, Liat | Cason, Jana | Sheaffer, Katherine | Harasink, Rachael | Donehower, Kelsey | Jacobs, Karen

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, occupational therapy (OT) services delivered through telehealth demonstrated comparative effectiveness to in-person services. At the onset of the pandemic, occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) needed to continue delivering care to clients without being in-person. Many OT practitioners pivoted rapidly to telehealth, in many instances, with very little training. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to describe the use of telehealth in occupational therapy during the early stages of the pandemic, and to explore how participants traversed the barriers. The perceived benefits and barriers to success with rapid …telehealth adoption as experienced by OTPs, along with the specific strategies used to promote favorable outcomes may inform ongoing successful telehealth use in occupational therapy. METHOD: This study used a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design. Data was collected from September to December 2020 with an electronic survey. RESULTS: A total of 193 OTPs completed the survey, representing the delivery of OT services in 13 countries. Three main barriers to the use of telehealth were availability of materials, mastery of technology, and collaboration with caregivers/e-helpers. These barriers were negatively and significantly correlated with the participants’ confidence level in the use of telehealth. Participants overcame barriers by independently obtaining telehealth training, including training within one’s organization, support from social media, self-directed learning, and paid online telehealth webinars. CONCLUSION: Employers and educators can remove barriers to telehealth use by OTPs by providing a variety of learning opportunities and supports to enhance practitioners’ confidence, thus increasing the likelihood of continued use of telehealth as a powerful and gap-bridging delivery model in occupational therapy. Show more

Keywords: Work from home, school-based practice, remote, COVID-19

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-210789

Citation: Work, vol. 71, no. 2, pp. 385-394, 2022

Authors: El Kadri Filho, Fauzi | Roberto de Lucca, Sérgio

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The imposition of telework by the COVID-19 pandemic represented a challenge for companies and workers with regard to the management and organization of the workplace at home. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the ergonomic risks, psychosocial factors and musculoskeletal symptoms as well as the relationships between these variables in employees of a Brazilian labor judiciary unit. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out with 55 employees who had their workstations evaluated by means of the Rapid Office Strain Assessment (ROSA-Br) and answered a questionnaire of sociodemographic and occupational characterization, the dimensions of workstation and …posture of the Maastricht Upper Extremity Questionnaire (MUEQ-Br-revised), the short version of the Job Stress Scale and the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ). RESULTS: The workstations evaluations by ROSA-Br and MUEQ-Br-revised showed a strong correlation between themselves and to body posture, but they were not related to the occurrence of musculoskeletal symptoms. Body posture and demands were correlated to each other and with to occurrence of musculoskeletal symptoms. Shoulders, neck and wrists / hands were the most affected body regions. CONCLUSIONS: Companies that adopt teleworking for their employees must be aware of working conditions at home, including the workload, and offer adequate support in order to prevent the occurrence of musculoskeletal problems. Show more

Keywords: Occupational health, ergonomics, occupational stress, musculoskeletal pain, teleworking, COVID-19

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-210490

Citation: Work, vol. 71, no. 2, pp. 395-405, 2022

Authors: Kotowski, Susan E. | Davis, Kermit G. | Barratt, Clare L.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Teachers have had to deal with many of the negative aspects of COVID-19 over the past year. The demands associated with the sudden requirement to teach remotely, and later having to manage hybrid (both in person and online) learning may be having adverse effects on the mental and physical health of teachers. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether COVID-19 continued to impact teacher stress, burnout, and well-being a year into the pandemic. METHODS: An online survey was sent out to 5300 teachers in public and private schools, and 703 completed the survey. RESULTS: Stress and …burnout continue to be high for teachers, with 72% of teachers feeling very or extremely stressed, and 57% feel very or extremely burned out. Many teachers struggled to have a satisfactory work-family balance (37% never or almost never; 20% only has sometimes). CONCLUSION: School systems must start to deal with the mental and physical health of teachers before a large number of them leave the profession. Show more

Keywords: Telework, online teaching, primary school, pandemic, COVID-19

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-210994

Citation: Work, vol. 71, no. 2, pp. 407-415, 2022

Authors: Horton, Nicholas | Jacobs, Karen

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected societal norms and shifted much of the workforce in the United States to a virtual landscape. Working and learning from home (or “remotely”) has become common in nearly every field, including higher level education. Each institution has implemented policies regarding remote work, and with the different policies educators are confronted with different conditions which affect their perceived level of stress and quality of working life. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to examine how the transition to working from home contributes to work-related stress and perceived quality of life among …postsecondary educators during the first year of COVID-19 related institutional working policies. METHOD: The study used a cross-sectional survey design. The survey was distributed online using email and social media to 1,575 postsecondary teachers in all four regions of the United States between February and March 2021. The survey collected demographic and institutional policy information related to remote work, in addition to the Work-Related Quality of Life Survey which gathers data on indicators of general well-being, job satisfaction, perceived control at work, perceived stress at work, working conditions, and work-life balance. RESULTS: Data was analyzed from 222 (14% response rate) respondents; 49% worked remotely full-time, 47% worked on a hybrid schedule (part-time remote, part-time on campus), and 4% were on campus full-time. The findings suggest that postsecondary teachers who worked in a hybrid program throughout 2020 felt they had more control at work and a higher overall quality of working life, while those who worked remote only or on-campus only felt more stress at work. The results also suggest that less time spent working from home contributes to higher stress and the perception of decreased control at work. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the survey results, remote working policies in higher education institutions have an impact on work-related quality of life and stress felt by their faculty. These findings can be used to guide the implementation of work-from-home or return-to-campus policies. Show more

Keywords: COVID-19, occupational stress, job satisfaction, working environment, post-secondary teachers

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-210819

Citation: Work, vol. 71, no. 2, pp. 417-421, 2022

Authors: Moslander, Delaney | Jacobs, Karen

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic caused a rapid adaptation of online education, requiring university students to complete their schoolwork remotely. There is a gap in the evidence-based literature regarding these novel home workstations and the potential to help students understand ergonomics and adjust their workstations. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to determine if a remote ergonomics intervention would encourage students to make improvements to their workstation and increase their knowledge of ergonomics. METHODS: Participants completed an ergonomics quiz, workstation evaluation, activity time log, and photographs of their workstation. There were three randomly assigned groups, the control group of 26 …participants and the first and second intervention groups with 25 participants each. The first and second intervention groups received information sheets regarding proper workstations. The second intervention group was also required to participate in an ergonomics workshop. Six weeks after receiving the interventions, the control group and two intervention groups completed the materials once again. Eight participants from the control group, 12 from the information intervention group, and 14 from the participatory intervention group completed the study. RESULTS: One-way ANOVA tests between the three groups suggest there was no significant difference in ergonomic knowledge or changes made to workstations. However, the remote participatory ergonomics group increased their level of knowledge about ergonomics. CONCLUSIONS: An ergonomics intervention did not impact one group to change their workstation more than others in six weeks. Future studies on this topic should be conducted over a longer amount of time and with more participants to allow for more opportunities for behavior and workstation changes. Show more

Keywords: Telehealth, workstations, COVID-19 pandemic, participatory ergonomics intervention

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-210689

Citation: Work, vol. 71, no. 2, pp. 423-431, 2022

Authors: Kotowski, Susan E. | Davis, Kermit G.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: As the COVID-19 pandemic took root in the United States, most universities quickly transitioned to online and remained there through spring 2021. OBJECTIVE: The study objective was to identify the impact of the switch to online on student home offices and corresponding health outcomes. METHODS: An online survey was sent out to all student at a large Midwest university to assess the work practices and health outcomes. RESULTS: In total, 1074 responses were completed. The shift to online not only resulted in most students utilizing laptop computers without external monitors, keyboards, or mouse …input devices, but also a major increase in the amount of time spent using technology (on average 31 to 40 hours per week). The amount of severe to extreme discomfort in the neck, shoulder, upper back, and lower back was alarming (above 41%). CONCLUSION: The home offices of students were often sub-optimal, indicating the need to educate university students. Show more

Keywords: Telework, musculoskeletal disorders, human-computer interface, musculoskeletal discomfort, keyboard, laptops, breaks

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-210905

Citation: Work, vol. 71, no. 2, pp. 433-440, 2022

Authors: Rampasso, Izabela Simon | Santana, Monica | Serafim, Milena Pavan | Dibbern, Thais | Rodrigues, Edilson A. | Filho, Walter Leal | Anholon, Rosley

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic made workers suddenly change their routines and several companies adopted a remote work modality. This change quickly started to be analysed in academic literature. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to perform a scientific mapping on the theme “remote work” to highlight the prominent themes associated with the subject for 2020 and 2021, covering the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Identifying mainly the “motor themes”, this study contributes to identify themes developed and relevant to the subjects analyzed. METHODS: An initial sample of 479 articles published in the analyzed period was …listed from the Web of Science database. After analysing these articles, 186 were selected and were analyzed by Scimat software. Journals and references were also analyzed. RESULTS: The centrality and density indexes of the sub-themes “job-satisfaction” and “flexible-work” were more evidenced in the analysis, enabling the classification of these sub-themes directly as “motor themes”. Regarding the density index of the sub-theme, the classification “stress” was less seen. After a careful analysis of the articles content, it was verified that this is also a “motor theme”. CONCLUSIONS: Considering the three defined “motor themes”, they can be considered the most developed and important sub-themes of study in this field and, therefore, need to be well understood by new researchers in the field. In addition, these findings show that the mentioned sub-themes must be focused on by managers, considering the relevance that the literature attributes to them. Show more

Keywords: Business management, remote work, employees management, scientific mapping, scimat, COVID-19

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-210912

Citation: Work, vol. 71, no. 2, pp. 441-450, 2022

Authors: Robertson, Michelle M. | Lee, Jin | Huang, Yueng-Hsiang | Schleifer, Lawrence

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Virtual office work, or telework/remote work, has existed since the 1970s due to the widespread availability of new technologies. Despite a dramatic increase in remote office work, few studies have examined its long-term effects on work environments and worker well-being. OBJECTIVE: A prospective field intervention study was undertaken to examine the effects of a Virtual Office program on office workers’ psychosocial perceptions, mental and physical well-being, workplace satisfaction, and performance. METHOD: A large public service organization undertook a 12-month Virtual Office (VO) pilot program using a systems approach. The study included 137 …VO employees (intervention condition), and 85 Conventional Office (CO) employees (control condition). The VO intervention used a work system approach consisting of establishing a steering committee, training programs, and VO resource website. Employee survey measures and follow-up focus group observations were used to examine the impact of the VO intervention. RESULTS: Virtual office participants reported higher job control, group interactions and cohesiveness, and quality of supervision than the CO participants. VO participants reported lower upper body musculoskeletal symptoms and physical/mental stress than CO participants. VO participants reported higher performance (customer satisfaction) than the CO participants. CONCLUSION: The study findings were sufficiently positive to provide a basis for work organizations to undertake similar pilot programs. Consideration of work system factors when designing an effective VO program can benefit employee’s well-being and performance. The rationale for implementing VO programs is underscored by the current COVID-19 pandemic. VO work will continue to some degree for the foreseeable future. Show more

Keywords: Telework, prospective design, field study, macroergonomics, COVID-19

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-210698

Citation: Work, vol. 71, no. 2, pp. 451-464, 2022

Authors: Sarnosky, Kamrie | Benden, Mark | Sansom, Garett | Cizmas, Leslie | Regan, Annette K.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Remote working may enhance company resiliency during natural disasters and other events causing workplace displacement. OBJECTIVE: We conducted an interrupted time series analysis to investigate the impact of Hurricane Harvey on employee computer use during and after a seven-month displacement period from the physical workplace. METHODS: Ergonomic software was used to collect information on employees’ computer usage. RESULTS: Although there was no change in total computer use in response to the hurricane (β 0.25), active computer use significantly declined (β –0.90). All measured computer use behaviors returned to baseline prior to the complete …return to the physical workspace. CONCLUSION: Despite a transient period of reduced activity during closure of the workplace building, productivity returned to normal prior to the employees’ return to a commercial workspace. The ability to work remotely may improve resiliency of employees to perform workplace tasks during events causing workplace displacement. Show more

Keywords: Disaster resiliency, interrupted time series, remote work, virtual workspace, employee adjustment

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-210707

Citation: Work, vol. 71, no. 2, pp. 465-470, 2022