Work-from-home arrangements and work–family conflict during the COVID-19 pandemic

Objective

The current study examined how work-from-home arrangements during the pandemic have influenced work–family conflict experienced by parents.

Background

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries implemented full or partial lockdowns in which people were required or advised to work from home. These arrangements have considerably blurred the boundary between the domains of work and family and raise questions about how work-from-home arrangements during the pandemic have influenced work–family conflict experienced by parents.

Method

In 2021, this study collected survey data from a sample of working parents with young children in Hong Kong (N = 278). Structural equation modeling was used to investigate the association between working from home and the two forms of work–family conflict (i.e., work-to-family conflict and family-to-work conflict).

Results

The results of structural equation modeling found that working from home was associated with lower levels of work-to-family conflict, and such effects were observed for both mothers and fathers. However, working from home was found to have a nonsignificant association with family-to-work conflict. Instead, family-to-work conflict was affected by the spouse's work-from-home status, as higher levels of family-to-work conflict were detected when spouses were unable to use work-from-home arrangements.

Conclusion

This study indicates that working from home served as a family-friendly work option during the pandemic, despite the sudden and involuntary circumstances of its adoption.

Implications

The adoption of work-from-home arrangements during the pandemic led to a reduction in work–family conflict, and these positive effects of working from home hold significant policy implications for the post-pandemic era.