Effect of determining location and time of remote work on mental health through work-life balance

Abstract

The present research examined the process of how determining the location and time of remote work, which was introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, affects workers’ work-life balance, as well as their mental health. We also examined gender differences in the mediating effect of work-life balance. 1,692 employees of an IT company participated in our research by answering questionnaires with an online training system during November 2019 (Time 1) and May 2020 (Time 2). Participants’ mental health were measured at both Time 1 and Time 2, while work-life balance and whether the location and time of their remote work was determined were measured at Time 2. Results of multi-group mediation analysis showed that setting the time of remote work led to better workl-ife balance and in turn, improved mental health. However, flexibility in the location of remote work led to better work-life balance and improved mental health. Moreover, a gender difference was found on the effect of work-life balance on mental health in that it had a stronger influence on female workers’ mental health than male workers.