scholarly journals P642 Effects of Covid-19 on employment in IBD patients

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S575-S575
Author(s):  
M Sciberras ◽  
C Nascimento ◽  
T Tabone ◽  
K Karmiris ◽  
P Nikolaou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Demographic Data ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
International Study ◽  
Remote Work ◽  
Psychosocial Effects ◽  
Work From Home ◽  
Female Smoker ◽  
Previous Medication ◽  
The Impact ◽  
At Home

Abstract Background There is an ongoing concern over the impact of COVID-19 on IBD patients. A significant proportion of IBD patients are treated with immunosuppressive medications and their effects on COVID-19 susceptibility and outcomes remain of concern to patients and physicians alike. Apart from the clinical outcome, the pandemic may have other psychosocial effects on this vulnerable cohort such as employment stability. The primary aim of this study was to analyze the percentage of COVID-19 patients who tested themselves for COVID-19 and the outcome of those who tested positive. A secondary aim was to assess their employment status. Methods This was a multicentre international study whereby IBD patients (>18 years) in clinical remission over the last year, were asked to answer an anonymous questionnaire. Demographic data, type of IBD, current and previous medication, admissions to hospital, were collected. Exclusion criteria included patients with IBD flares requiring corticosteroids in the previous 12 months. Results 573 patients (CD: 55.5%) from 8 European Centres and Israel participated in the study. The mean patient age was 39.9 years (SD+/- 13.0). 21.6% were current smokers and 48.5% were non-smokers. The rest were ex-smokers. 44.5% (n=255 ) of patients were tested for Covid-19 and 5.1% (n=13) were positive. The majority were treated at home (92.3%) with only one patient requiring hospital admission. This was a 33 year old female smoker with UC (E3 disease activity) on anti-TNF therapy. 66.7% of positive cases were on anti-TNF medication and 22.2% were on thiopurines. None of the positive cases were on dual antiTNF/thiopurine therapy. 7.2% of patients had family members who also tested positive for Covid-19. Almost half of all patients (45.2%) had their job affected during the pandemic and this was more prevalent in the UC cohort (P<0.05). 70% of patients switched to remote work from home and 21.4% became unemployed. The average age of patients becoming unemployed was 39.3years (SD+/- 11.9). Conclusion Nearly half of our cohort (45.2%) underwent testing and the majority (92.3%) were treated at home even though two thirds of them were on Anti-TNF medication. Unemployment rates affected 1 in 5 individuals and measures promoting remote work have been taken up wisely by IBD patients. Though the clinical outcomes were excellent, the psychological effects of unemployment have yet to be considered.

scholarly journals Benefits and Challenges of Telework During The Covid-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-135
Author(s):  
Susanti Saragih ◽  
◽  
Santy Setiawan ◽  
Teddy Markus ◽  
Peter Rhian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
The Other ◽  
Remote Work ◽  
Flexible Work ◽  
Work Arrangements ◽  
Work From Home ◽  
Total Respondent ◽  
Hr Managers ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Work Arrangement ◽  
At Home

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the term work from home (WFH) has been introduced to refer to a work arrangement in which individual can complete their duties while they are at home. While most flexible work arrangements are a preference, work from home is mandatory. Therefore, the impact of WFH during the Covid-19 pandemic needs to be studied. The total respondent of this study is 337 employees, who are works at home during the pandemic. The results showed that the three main benefits employees might gain during WFH are flexibility, more time with family, and less travel time. On the other side, employees struggle to balance their personal and work life, access to websites or software, and limited devices and workspace. Most of the companies are not ready for the WFH scheme though some of them gave support to employees (e.g., quota subsidy). This research gave some essential suggestions for HR managers in designing remote work for the future.

Significant household factors that influence an IT employees’ job effectiveness while on work from home

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vivek Sridhar ◽  
Sanjay Bhattacharya
Keyword(s):  
Work Experience ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Job Effectiveness ◽  
Household Factors ◽  
Work From Home ◽  
It Employees ◽  
To Come ◽  
The Impact ◽  
At Home

Purpose The purpose of this study is to find out the significant factor/s relating to an information technology (IT) employee’s household that determines the job effectiveness of an employee. Design/methodology/approach The approach involves surveying IT employees from across levels of work-experience, companies and cities on household factors that affect their job effectiveness while they work from home and uses discriminant analysis to find out important factor/s that determines if an employee’s job effectiveness remains constant or is better at the workplace that at home. Findings The number of elderly staying in the house, age of the eldest member of the household, observable power cuts at home and number of cars owned by individuals were found to be significant factors affecting an IT employees’ job effectiveness. Originality/value The study targets a very niche area of the impact of household factors on an IT employee. The findings of this research enable IT organizations from India with insights and enable them to come up with innovative interventions to manage employees on a personalized basis to improve an employees’ job effectiveness and drive organizational effectiveness on a whole, during and post the COVID-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals P645 Mental health, work presenteeism and exercise in IBD patients

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S577-S577
Author(s):  
M Sciberras ◽  
C Nascimento ◽  
T Tabone ◽  
K Karmiris ◽  
P Nikolaou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
International Study ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Psychiatric Medication ◽  
Active Involvement ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Previous Medication ◽  
History Of

Abstract Background IBD has been shown to increase the rates of anxiety and depression amongst diagnosed individuals, with a prevalence rate of approximately 15- 20%. Chronic diseases such as IBD can have a significant impact on productivity at work (presenteeism). This can lead to emotional distress, poor quality of life and cost effects on employers. The primary aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of psychological problems, exercise levels and presenteeism at work among IBD patients. Methods This was a multicentre international study whereby IBD patients (>18 years) in clinical remission over the last year, were asked to answer an anonymous questionnaire. Demographic data, type of IBD, current and previous medication, admissions to hospital, history of psychiatric referrals, Stanford Presenteeism Scale (SPS-6), Godin Score (exercise related score) were collected. Exclusion criteria included patients with IBD flares requiring corticosteroids in the previous 12 months. Results 573 patients (CD: n=318) from 8 European Centres and Israel participated in the study. The mean patient age was 39.9 years (SD+/- 13.0). 21.6% were smokers and 48.5% were non-smokers. The rest were ex-smokers. 10.9% of patients had a diagnosis of depression/anxiety prior to the diagnosis of IBD, whereas this increased to 20.6% post-IBD diagnosis, this being significantly commoner in the CD cohort (23.0%, p<0.05) and in females (55.8%, p<0.05). 37.7% of patients had been to a psychiatrist or a psychologist (41% of CD, p<0.05) with 11.7% of patients being on psychiatric medication (14.5% of CD, p<0.05). Low presenteeism at work was evident in 34.7%, with no statistically significant difference between UC and CD patients (p=0.5). 39.9% had a Godin Exercise Score being in the active range, 38.8% had a sedentary/insufficient exercise score. The rest were moderately active. Patients diagnosed with depression/anxiety had a more sedentary lifestyle. Conclusion In our study 37.7% of patients were referred for psychological help. This can have several effects including poor presenteeism at work (34.7%) and reduced efficiency. These issues are commoner in patients with CD than in UC. Active involvement of a psychologist/ psychiatrist as part of the IBD team should be routine as to improve the patient’s quality of life.

scholarly journals The Impact of Telework and Closure of Educational and Childcare Facilities on Working People During COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 202-214
Author(s):  
Michèle Rieth ◽  
Vera Hagemann
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Conservation Of Resources ◽  
Loss Of Control ◽  
Home Office ◽  
Work From Home ◽  
Working From Home ◽  
Working People ◽  
The Impact ◽  
At Home

Abstract. This study examines the impact of telework and closure of educational and childcare facilities on working people during COVID-19. We compare telework versus nontelework conditions and people with and without stay-at-home children. Data from 465 working people in Germany were collected via an online survey. People who do not work from home experience more stress, more negative and less positive affect, less life satisfaction and trust in government, and less loss of control over career success than those working from home. Concerning the conservation of resources theory, working from home can thus be seen as a resource gain, representing, in accordance with the self-regulation theory, a way to deal with pandemic threats. However, home office only seems to be beneficial if working conditions at home are supportive; otherwise, it is experienced as a resource threat or loss, especially with stay-at-home children.

scholarly journals The Impact of Technological Developments on Remote Working: Insights from the Polish Managers’ Perspective

2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 552
Author(s):  
Maria Urbaniec ◽  
Agnieszka Małkowska ◽  
Hanna Włodarkiewicz-Klimek
Keyword(s):  
Economic Activity ◽  
Previous Experience ◽  
Remote Work ◽  
Adoption Theory ◽  
Work From Home ◽  
Organizational Perspective ◽  
Technological Developments ◽  
Day To Day Operations ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Impact

“Stay at home” orders during the COVID-19 pandemic radically changed the day-to-day operations of many organizations and moved employees from offices to homes. The sudden crisis forced companies to reformulate their operations. Enabling employees to work from home has become a necessity for both business continuity and survival. The unexpected crisis has also proved to be beneficial for some aspects of economic activity. This research focuses on identifying and measuring the benefits of and barriers to remote work from an organizational perspective, as perceived by managerial staff in Poland. We investigate the factors that influence the assessment of the scale of benefits of and barriers to remote working. The study examines the impact of various factors on the benefits of and barriers to remote working, such as a company’s previous experience with remote working, the support provided to employees by the company, the monitoring of remote working effects, and the implementation of new IT tools. These results suggest that the way the company and employees are managed in a crisis, the approach of superiors to the evaluation and control of effects on work, and the adaptation of support to the real needs of employees, all play fundamental roles. The factors examined that influence the perceived benefits of or barriers to remote working from an organization’s perspective contribute to adoption theory.

scholarly journals Information and Communication Technologies and Work-Life Balance: Practical Recommendations for Employers and Individuals

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diane Jackson ◽  
Valerie Young ◽  
Alyson Sander
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Work From Home ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Recommendations ◽  
At Home

For decades, the number and frequency of individuals who work from home has gradually increased, in many ways as a result of emergent Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). This gradual increase, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has weathered away boundaries between work at work and work at home, with some positive and many negative outcomes. Currently, however, because of a global pandemic which necessitates ICTs for working from home, the impact that organizational technology assimilation has on the way that people engage with each other is increasingly important. This chapter reviews theory and research regarding organizational technology and concludes with pragmatic recommendations for individuals and organizations regarding work-related technology use at home.

scholarly journals Architectural and aesthetic aspects of workspace at home – a new design challenge in the age of pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 1203 (2) ◽  
pp. 022005
Author(s):  
Barbara Uherek-Bradecka
Keyword(s):  
Living Room ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Office Work ◽  
Remote Work ◽  
Home Office ◽  
Work From Home ◽  
Spatial Changes ◽  
Spatial Aspect ◽  
Open Plan ◽  
At Home

Abstract The article deals with the issues of spatial changes taking place in the office work environment during a pandemic. It also raises issues related to the space intended for work at home or in an apartment. At present, the traditional model of office work is undergoing significant transformations. These transformations include, in particular, the spatial aspect. Large office spaces, especially those of the open-plan type, do not work well during a pandemic, as it is difficult to keep an appropriate social distance in them. Therefore, we spend less and less working time, whether for safety reasons or the sanitary and epidemiological regime, for work in the office. This phenomenon is particularly visible in city centers, where many large office buildings have become deserted. We spend more and more time working remotely (home-office). Therefore, it is necessary to adapt the space of our houses and apartments to the conditions in which we live and work today. The very concept of remote work or work from home is not new, many companies have already introduced it before, but most often for a limited time, which in principle could take place without major changes in private apartments. However, the pandemic has forced office workers to work remotely full-time, and thus to organize a workplace in their own home. This is often associated with the need to introduce additional furniture, equipment or lighting to a private interior. The problem of many people working remotely is the lack of an additional room that can be used as a study or office. Then we are looking for a place for our home office in rooms that have so far performed other functions (most often a bedroom or a living room), trying to introduce a place to work with them as possible. The issue of acoustics is also of great importance here, especially when there are more people working or learning remotely in the house or apartment. Moreover, many, especially young office (corporate) employees, own one-room apartments in the studio type, in which it is not possible to separate such a room. Then we have to add an additional office space to the space that already serves several functions (living room and bedroom). The author is a researcher and designer of this type of space, and the cases presented in the article show the changes taking place in spaces previously perceived as typically private.

REMOTE WORK MANAGEMENT DURING A PANDEMIC

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valentyn Kovshyk ◽  
◽  
Olha Yatsenko ◽  
Mykola Horbunov ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Negative Impact ◽  
Legal Regulation ◽  
Personal Contact ◽  
Remote Work ◽  
Continuous Training ◽  
Work From Home ◽  
Methodical Approach ◽  
Management Functions ◽  
Structural Blocks ◽  
The Impact

For almost two years, humankind has been living in a coronavirus pandemic. It has gone from a complete misunderstanding of what to do and how to live and work to a step where informed and thoughtful decisions are already being made, and crisis management programs are being developed. The challenge for many was a new format of remote work, for which neither managers nor their subordinates were ready. The article considers the meaning of the term “telework” (“remote work”), the number of remote workers in the world before the pandemic, the peculiarities of the legal regulation of telework in Ukraine, and the number of people who were able to work from home after the introduction of quarantine in the country. The problems in management that complicate the transition to the remote format of work are analyzed. Authors list industries with a high and medium ability to work remotely; describe psychological aspects of unpreparedness for the transition to remote employment of managers and subordinates. Emphasis is placed on the availability of certain technical capabilities, as well as special knowledge, skills, and abilities to master tools for remote work, which highlights the need for continuous training of staff. It is noted that the classic management functions have also transformed: they take into account the prevention and leveling of the impact of negative factors associated with the pandemic. The key directions of managerial and organizational work during the pandemic are substantiated: ensuring the safety of workers, providing staff training, providing technical capabilities for remote work, and implementation of management functions. The general methodical approach and recommendations concerning the system of organizational measures having three structural blocks are presented: the general organizational measures; ensuring the safety of participants in bureaucratic procedures that require personal contact; providing technical capabilities for remote work. It is assumed that if the proposed measures are applied, enterprises and organizations will be able to increase their efficiency, operate in a crisis, and reduce the negative impact of the pandemic on workers.

scholarly journals A network modelling approach to assess non-pharmaceutical disease controls in a worker population: An application to SARS-CoV-2

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. e1009058
Author(s):  
Edward M. Hill ◽  
Benjamin D. Atkins ◽  
Matt J. Keeling ◽  
Louise Dyson ◽  
Michael J. Tildesley
Keyword(s):  
Network Model ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Disease Spread ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Work Patterns ◽  
General Role ◽  
Work From Home ◽  
Working Practices ◽  
The Impact

As part of a concerted pandemic response to protect public health, businesses can enact non-pharmaceutical controls to minimise exposure to pathogens in workplaces and premises open to the public. Amendments to working practices can lead to the amount, duration and/or proximity of interactions being changed, ultimately altering the dynamics of disease spread. These modifications could be specific to the type of business being operated. We use a data-driven approach to parameterise an individual-based network model for transmission of SARS-CoV-2 amongst the working population, stratified into work sectors. The network is comprised of layered contacts to consider the risk of spread in multiple encounter settings (workplaces, households, social and other). We analyse several interventions targeted towards working practices: mandating a fraction of the population to work from home; using temporally asynchronous work patterns; and introducing measures to create ‘COVID-secure’ workplaces. We also assess the general role of adherence to (or effectiveness of) isolation and test and trace measures and demonstrate the impact of all these interventions across a variety of relevant metrics. The progress of the epidemic can be significantly hindered by instructing a significant proportion of the workforce to work from home. Furthermore, if required to be present at the workplace, asynchronous work patterns can help to reduce infections when compared with scenarios where all workers work on the same days, particularly for longer working weeks. When assessing COVID-secure workplace measures, we found that smaller work teams and a greater reduction in transmission risk reduced the probability of large, prolonged outbreaks. Finally, following isolation guidance and engaging with contact tracing without other measures is an effective tool to curb transmission, but is highly sensitive to adherence levels. In the absence of sufficient adherence to non-pharmaceutical interventions, our results indicate a high likelihood of SARS-CoV-2 spreading widely throughout a worker population. Given the heterogeneity of demographic attributes across worker roles, in addition to the individual nature of controls such as contact tracing, we demonstrate the utility of a network model approach to investigate workplace-targeted intervention strategies and the role of test, trace and isolation in tackling disease spread.

scholarly journals Is working from home the new workplace panacea? Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic for the future world of work

2021 ◽  
Vol 47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremias J. De Klerk ◽  
Mandi Joubert ◽  
Hendrikjan F. Mosca
Keyword(s):  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Office Work ◽  
Remote Work ◽  
Work From Home ◽  
Working From Home ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Value Add ◽  
The Impact ◽  
First Time

Orientation: The COVID-19 pandemic has forced millions of employees to work from home as governments implemented lockdowns.Research purpose: This study examined the impact of working exclusively from home on employee engagement and experience, and determined beneficial and distracting factors.Motivation for the study: Remote working trends have risen steeply since the onset of COVID-19 and are unlikely to taper off soon. Organisations need to understand the impact of remote work when reconsidering working arrangements.Research approach/design and method: A dual-approach qualitative design was followed. The sample comprised 25 employees (N = 25) who were forced to work exclusively from home during COVID-19. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews.Main findings: Working from home for protracted periods rendered paradoxical outcomes. Employees could work effectively with improved employee engagement and experience, but there were challenges rendering adverse effects. The experienced benefits of working from home created expectations that this practice would continue in future, along with some office work.Practical/managerial implications: Organisations need to continue, though not exclusively, with work-from-home arrangements. The ideal ratio of remote work to office work was seen as two to three days per week. However, support and cultural practices would have to be put in place.Contribution/value-add: The COVID-19 lockdown provided a unique environment to study remote work. For the first time, employees and organisations were placed in a situation where they could experience working from home in a stark and compulsory form, devoid of idealistic fantasies or romanticism.

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