OP2
EXPERIENCES OF WORKING FROM HOME: UMBRELLA REVIEW
C. E. Hall1, S. K. Brooks2, F. Mills3, N. Greenberg2, D. Weston4
1King’s College London; UK Health Security Agency, UK
2King’s College London, UK
3UK Health Security Agency; University of Sussex, UK
4UK Health Security Agency, UK
Background:
The concept of ‘working from home’ is extremely topical following the COVID-19 pandemic. Exploratory literature searches suggest that for some, homeworking was often seen as a way of overcoming pre-existing difficulties (e.g., allowing flexibility) and was therefore viewed as being advantageous. However, homeworking sometimes also had negative connotations (e.g., blurred boundaries between work and home life). This research sought to collate findings concerning the experience of homeworking as documented in the literature, in terms of barriers and facilitators, to create recommendations for the future of home-based work.
Methods:
An umbrella review was carried out. Literature searches were conducted across four electronic databases in June 2022. Published reviews of literature which used a systematic process, were focused on working from home populations and detailed factors which could be related to the personal experience of homeworking (e.g., barriers, facilitators, advantages, disadvantages) were included.
Results:
A total of 1,930 records were screened and six review articles were included. Results report on a broad range of factors, including working environment (e.g., workplace design, space conditions), personal impact (e.g., satisfaction, career impact), and health (e.g., physical, wellbeing). Mixed findings were apparent for nearly all included factors, highlighting the need to consider individual and contextual circumstances when researching working from home.
Implications:
This review establishes the importance of retaining flexibility whilst homeworking for employees, managers, and organisations, as a one-size fits all approach to working from home is impractical as individual circumstances limit application.
