Perceptions of Work-Life Balance and Coworker Support Promote Teleworker Well-Being: Survey of the Swiss Public Sector During COVID-19

Karine Renard
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Karine Renard: IDHEAP - Swiss Graduate School of Public Administration - UNIL - Université de Lausanne = University of Lausanne - SPAN - Swiss Public Administration Network

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Abstract: With the rapid increase in telecommuting due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to understand whether previously identified job resources are still relevant when telecommuting is mandatory and how flexible work arrangements are related to employee well-being. This study aimed to assess the potential mediating effects of a perceived favorable work-life balance environment and coworker support between perceived new ways of working (NWW) practices (e.g., telecommuting and flexible working hours) and employee engagement/exhaustion during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the job demands-resources model and the theory of perceived organizational support, we hypothesized that perceptions of flexibility would be positively related to a work environment conducive to work-life balance and that work-related resources would directly and indirectly affect employees' well-being. Data came from a survey of 1,373 employees in the Swiss public sector. The results showed that perceived schedule flexibility and the ability to communicate with coworkers and supervisors contributed to employees' well-being, and that these relationships were partially mediated by a perceived favorable work-life balance environment and support from coworkers. These findings suggest that a collaborative environment is key to the well-being of civil servants in a compulsory teleworking context. Furthermore, as this study examined employee perceptions, it suggests that HR policies may be ineffective if they are not accompanied by supportive management.

Keywords: COVID-; Telework; New ways of working; Well-being; Work-life balance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023-04-07
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://normandie-univ.hal.science/hal-05396495v1
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Published in Revue internationale de psychosociologie et de gestion des comportements organisationnels, 2023, XXIX (77), pp.75-99

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