Is Working from Home Good for Work-Life Balance, Stress, and Productivity, or does it Cause Problems?

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the impact of employee productivity while working from home for a long period due to the COVID-19 pandemic quantitatively from the aspects of work-life balance, and employee stress levels. Several previous studies have explained that working from home (WFH) is known to contribute positively to work productivity. However, in contrast, several other studies have shown that working from home harms employee productivity. This research was conducted in Jakarta, Indonesia. The study sample comprised 135 employees who worked from home and the analysis was carried out using LISREL 8.5. The results of this study indicate that work-life balance and work-related stress affect work productivity. Meanwhile, working from home does not affect work productivity. The findings of this study show surprising results and can influence changes in organizational policies and strategies for collaborating between working from home and working from an office for employees.