Intensity of Home-Based Telework and Work Engagement During the COVID-19 Pandemic

  1. Tomohisa Nagata
  2. Masako Nagata
  3. Kazunori Ikegami
  4. Ayako Hino
  5. Seiichiro Tateishi
  6. Mayumi Tsuji
  7. Shinya Matsuda
  8. Yoshihisa Fujino
  9. Koji Mori

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Abstract

The present study examined the relationship between the intensity of home-based telework and work engagement.

Methods:

This cross-sectional study using a self-administrated questionnaire survey was conducted from December 22 to 25, 2020, in Japan. The subjects were asked single-item questions about the intensity of telework and three-item questions about work engagement using the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. Coefficients were estimated using a multilevel regression model nested by the prefecture of residence and adjusted for covariates.

Results:

High-intensity (4 or more days per week) telework was not associated with high work engagement for men or women. In contrast, low and moderate intensity (3 days per week to once per month) were associated with high work engagement. The results were consistent when stratified by sex.

Conclusions:

Reasonable-intensity telework may have beneficial effects on work engagement.

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  1. Version published to 10.1097/jom.0000000000002299
  2. ScreenIT

    SciScore for 10.1101/2021.04.01.21254795: (What is this?)

    Please note, not all rigor criteria are appropriate for all manuscripts.

    Table 1: Rigor

    Institutional Review Board StatementIRB: The present study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan.
    Randomizationnot detected.
    Blindingnot detected.
    Power Analysisnot detected.
    Sex as a biological variablenot detected.

    Table 2: Resources

    Software and Algorithms
    SentencesResources
    (StataCorp LLC, College Station, TX, USA).
    StataCorp
    suggested: (Stata, RRID:SCR_012763)

    Results from OddPub: We did not detect open data. We also did not detect open code. Researchers are encouraged to share open data when possible (see Nature blog).

    Results from LimitationRecognizer: We detected the following sentences addressing limitations in the study:
    However, several limitations associated with our study warrant mention. First, as the present study was conducted through the Internet, the extent to which the results may be generalized is unclear. However, to reduce bias as much as possible, we sampled the target population according to region, job type, and prefecture based on the infection incidence rate. Second, while work-family conflict may have influenced our findings, we did not enquire about such conflict in this study. However, we did adjust for marital status and the presence of family living together, which may have helped compensate for this lack of data. Third, because this was a cross-sectional study, the causal relationship between the intensity of telework and work engagement is unclear. Concerns have been raised about the existence of reverse causality, such as not choosing telework because the task lowers work engagement. Research has been conducted to index the ease of telecommuting (feasibility of telework) based on job characteristics.24 In the present study, we adjusted for occupation and industry, which may have eliminated some of the effects of the feasibility of telework. In conclusion, low- and moderate-intensity telework (once per month to three days per week) may have beneficial effects on work engagement. Certain factors associated with high-intensity telework (four or more days per week) may not enhance work engagement; these factors should be clarified, and measures to increase work engagement...

    Results from TrialIdentifier: No clinical trial numbers were referenced.

    Results from Barzooka: We did not find any issues relating to the usage of bar graphs.

    Results from JetFighter: We did not find any issues relating to colormaps.

    Results from rtransparent:
    • Thank you for including a conflict of interest statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
    • Thank you for including a funding statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
    • No protocol registration statement was detected.

    About SciScore

    SciScore is an automated tool that is designed to assist expert reviewers by finding and presenting formulaic information scattered throughout a paper in a standard, easy to digest format. SciScore checks for the presence and correctness of RRIDs (research resource identifiers), and for rigor criteria such as sex and investigator blinding. For details on the theoretical underpinning of rigor criteria and the tools shown here, including references cited, please follow this link.

  3. Version published to 10.1101/2021.04.01.21254795 on medRxiv