The effects of telework on employees' health

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic forced a large number of people into telework. The change of working conditions was not done with the help of specialists or with the support from employers, resulting in improvisations that had negative consequences for employee health. The survey conducted by the Bureau of Social Research at the end of 2020 measured the impact of work from home on various health problems and body organs. The results clearly show a deterioration of the bones, muscles and joints, the mental system, the stomach, the eyes and the heart for an important segment of the employees. The most vulnerable people were those aged 40-60, PhD graduates, domiciled in medium and small cities, employed by the state in areas that had the greatest difficulties in adapting to digitization and working on online platforms: culture, education, public administration. As experts say that working from home will continue in the coming years even after the pandemic disappears, the deterioration of employees' health will intensify.