Employees’ experiences of working remotely from home during the covid-19 pandemic - a mixed method study at Försäkringskassan

Abstract: Abstract Title: Employees’ experiences of working remotely from home during the covid-19 pandemic - a mixed method study at Försäkringskassan Author: Lina Dahlberg Supervisor: Jan Mewes, Lund University Sweden Course: SOCM03 Master thesis course, Master of Science in Human Resource Development and Labour Relations, 30 credits. Department of Sociology, spring 2021 Background & aim: The unique situation of covid-19 caused immediate changes to our working landscapes when workers from countries all over the world had to transition into immediate remote work. This study offers an understanding of the reality of remote working and its conditions effects on employees. This study aimed to explore how Försäkringskassans employees perceive and experience working from home, when mandatory, during the covid-19 pandemic. It aimed to explore different benefits and challenges with working remotely from home identified by the employees and how these experiences have influenced the employees overall working from home experience. This study was delimited to three main themes; work performance, work-life balance and work-related well-being. Methodology: This study was conducted using an exploratory sequential mixed methods design, combining quantitative and qualitative methods. One group interview, four individual interviews, and one standardized questionnaire (N=46) survey were conducted. Theory: The theoretical framework outlines previous research and theoretical models on remote working, focusing on work performance, work-life balance, and work-related well-being. Conclusions: The results of this study provide an understanding of employees experiences of remote working when mandatory in the context of a pandemic. The overall result showed that working from home has influenced the employees' work performance, work-life balance and well-being in both positive and negative ways. The main advantages identified were flexibility, increased performance, and improved mental health. The main challenges identified were lack of social interactions, negative impact on physical health due to less activity, absence of important workspace and technology, such as printers, copiers, ergonomic work chairs, work desks, etc.