A research study into the impacts of working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic has found that people with disabilities gained the most, men were less able to collaborate, and employees with caring responsibilities particularly benefitted.
The study, jointly conducted by UNSW Canberra and CQUniversity, looked beyond employee productivity and asked employees about their perceived losses and gains whilst they worked from home during the pandemic.
More than 5,000 Australian Public Service workers responded to the survey, which was conducted in mid-2020.
Initial findings can be found in the report, Working during the pandemic: From resistance to revolution.
Working from home expanded rapidly during the pandemic. Whilst most people said they gained more than they lost during that time, some employee groups, including employees with a disability and employees with caring responsibilities, benefitted more than others.
The study found that overall, employees felt more productive while working from home.
Women gained less than men when it came to work processes and how work was undertaken. However, women gained more than men in relation to perceived beliefs and values.
Overall, lower-level employees and those employed on a casual basis gained less than higher level employees and those employed full time.
“We found that men were less able than women to collaborate when working from home,” said lead researcher, Associate Professor Sue Williamson.
“We found that disabled employees believed managers and organisations supported them when working from home. This suggests that organisations can benefit if they make working from home easier for this group of employees.”
According to Associate Professor Williamson, most research to date has only examined the impacts of working from home on employees as a large homogenous group, rather than the impact on smaller, more specific groups of employees.
She said that it is important for organisations to constantly review who is benefitting and who may be losing when it comes to working from home to ensure employers are working towards gender equity in the workplace.
“As hybrid working becomes entrenched, these dynamics may be shifting, so organisations will need to be responsive to any changes.
“While women, families and disabled employees particularly benefit, it is important to consider the diverse make-up of organisations to ensure conditions are equitable for all demographics,” she said.
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