New Delhi:
Work from home may seem a good option to get relief from the time taken in traffic jams, but can lead to longer working hours, stress and sleeping problems , according to a new UN study in 15 countries, including India.
“This report shows that the use of modern communication technologies facilitates a better overall work-life balance,” said Jon Messenger, co-author of the joint report by the UN International Labour Organisation (ILO) and Eurofund.
The study is based on interviews with workers and experts in 10 European Union member states, Argentina, Brazil, India, Japan and the US. The study has identified many types of employees using new ways to work outside of employer’s premises, including regular home-based teleworkers, workers that perform occasional telework and information and communication technologies mobile work.
This showed some positive effects of teleworking, like greater autonomy on working time and better work-day organization, less commuting time which resulted in overall good work-life balance and higher productivity.
But it had some negative effects too teleworking “blurs the boundaries between work and personal life, depending on the place of work and the characteristics of different occupations,” Messenger said.
People who do telework generally have a tendency to work for longer time and also suffer from higher levels of stress as a result of overlapping paid work and personal life.
