Working From Home (WFH) - Your Experiences

Page 1: Working From Home (WFH) During Covid-19

You may have received this survey because you normally work in an office, but have been working from home (WFH) during lockdown. You know, better than anybody, how unique your situation is. The threat from Covid-19 is unprecedented and WFH is a novel experience.

This is one of the most important surveys you will ever have been asked to complete. WFH is unchartered territory - for you, your family, your colleagues, your union and your employer.

You face an uncertain future. The UK government is trying to drive you back to the office. Obviously, many of you miss working and socialising with your colleagues. However, every worker must be safe and should not be made to return to a hazardous working environment.

Also, many of you will be WFH for some time, which brings its own problems - whether isolation, lack of space and a proper work station, discomfort or ill-health, unachievable targets or tensions between work and home life.

DATA IS URGENTLY NEEDED ON YOUR EXPERIENCES - TO GIVE TRADE UNIONS HARD EVIDENCE WHEN NEGOTIATING WITH EMPLOYERS TO PROTECT YOU AND IMPROVE WORKING CONDITIONS.

The survey is quite long, but all the questions raise important issues - about your safety, your WFH experiences and your fears and hopes for the future. Your voice is vital. WE STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS - RIGHT TO THE END.

I am Phil Taylor, Prof. of Work & Employment (University of Strathclyde). In my research on office work and health and safety over 25 years, I have striven to improve working conditions. https://www.strath.ac.uk/staff/taylorphilipprof/

Confidentiality and anonmity are assured. Nothing identifying you will appear in any report. Completing the survey indicates consent. Data will be stored on a university server and I alone will have access.

Analysis will highlight problems that need immediate action. The study is independent, but unions will draw on findings to press for changes to protect you and improve working conditions - WFH and in the workplace.

Every completed survey can help make a difference. PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO COMPLETE IT. When you get to the end CLICK THE FINISH button and the survey will go securely to me.

If you want to contact me on any matter relating to this research, please feel free to email me at: philip.taylor@strath.ac.uk

Many thanks in advance for your important participation.

Phil

Section 1: The Transition to Working from Home (WFH)

1.1. On what date did you leave the workplace with a view to working from home (WFH)? Please CLICK calendar function.

Dates need to be in the format 'DD/MM/YYYY', for example 27/03/1980.

(dd/mm/yyyy)

2.2. On what date did you actually start working from home (WFH)? Please CLICK calendar function.

Dates need to be in the format 'DD/MM/YYYY', for example 27/03/1980.

(dd/mm/yyyy)

3.3. On what date did you want to leave the workplace?

Dates need to be in the format 'DD/MM/YYYY', for example 27/03/1980.

(dd/mm/yyyy)

4.4. Why did you make the transition from the workplace to home? Please TICK one only.

I had Covid-19 symptoms and went home.

I had Covid-19 symptoms and was sent home by management.

I had to or wanted to shield myself.

I had to shield members of my household.

My area of work was closed.

a.4.a. Other - please state.

5.5. How many days were you at home before you started homeworking? If you started working immediately please answer the number 0. If there was a delay before you started working give your answer as a number e.g. 3 or 7.

6.6. Was there a delay between the date you wanted to go home and the date you actually went home?

a.6.a. If there was a delay what were the technological or equipment reasons? Tick all that apply.

Problems with – or awaiting - connectivity

WiFi or internet problems

Section 2: Experience of Work

This part of the survey uses a table of questions,

13.13. Compare aspects of your job when WFH with those when working in the office.

	Greater at home	About the same	Greater in the office
Volume of work
Intensity of work
Pace of work
Pressure of work
Variety of work
Skill content of work
Personal control over organisation of work

This part of the survey uses a table of questions,

14.14. By what means do managers monitor your performance? TICK all that apply.

	Yes	No	Does not apply
Managers contact me directly for reports/updates a number of times a day
Managers contact me directly for reports/updates once a day
I have to provide reports/updates a number of times a day
I have to provide reports/updates once a day
Automated systems monitor activity on my devices
Automated systems monitor my workrate

This part of the survey uses a table of questions,

15.15. Indicate your agreement or disagreement with these statements on monitoring and contact from management.

	Strongly agree	Agree	Neither	Disagree	Strongly disagree	Does not apply
Managers monitor my performance more when WFH
My manager contacts me more frequently when WFH
I find contact from management more intrusive when WFH

16.16. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 low trust and 10 high trust, to what extent does management trust you to maintain the same commitment to doing your job well when WFH as compared to working in the office?

This part of the survey uses a table of questions,

17.17. In terms of the trust your line manager has in you, please indicate your agreeement or disagreement with the following statements?

	Strongly agree	Agree	Neither	Disagree	Strongly disagree
My line manager is concerned about my welfare
My needs and desires are very important to my line manager
My line manager would not knowingly do anything to hurt me
My line manager really looks out for what is important to me
My line manager will go out of his/her way to help me

This part of the survey uses a table of questions,

18.18. How often do the following meetings take place when WFH?

	More than once a day	Once a day	3-4 days a week	1-2 days a week	Less than once a week	Does not apply
Video-based team meetings (e.g. Zoom) with manager or team leader
Phone-based team meetings with manager or team leader
Video huddles with manager or team leader
Phone huddles with manager or team leader
Meetings between colleagues without manager or team leader

This part of the survey uses a table of questions,

19.19. How effective are your video team meetings at home when compared to your pre-Covid workplace team meetings?

	Much less effective	Less effective	About the same	More effective	Much more effective	Does not apply
Clarity from management or team leader regarding guidance or instructions
Degree of support from managers or team leaders
Ability to interact with other team members during meetings
Ability to concentrate during team meetings
Managers’ or team leaders’ availability outside team meetings

This part of the survey uses a table of questions,

20.20. How successful are the following work-related interactions with colleagues or team members?

	Very successful	Successful	Neither	Unsuccessful	Very unsuccessful	Does not apply
Video-based meetings
Phone calls
Text messaging
Whats App group
Other social media
Email

This part of the survey uses a table of questions,

21.21. To what extent does the following communication and contact overcome any isolation from WFH?

	A great deal	To some extent	A little	None
Communication and contact with managers
Communication and contact between colleagues

This part of the survey uses a table of questions,

22.22. To what extent do you agree or disagree with these statements on your targets or performance?

	Agree strongly	Agree	Neither	Disagree	Disagree strongly	Does not apply
I have to meet the same targets WFH as in the workplace
It is more difficult to meet my targets WFH compared with the workplace
Managers understand it is more difficult to meet my targets at home
Managers monitor my performance more closely at home
Managers trust me more to WFH when compared to working in the office
My KPIs have not changed now that I am WFH
I still have appraisals when WFH
I still receive ‘rankings’ or ‘ratings’
I would like my targets to be relaxed now that I am WFH
I would like my targets to be abolished when WFH
I think my WFH targets are fair and transparent
I would like my appraisals to be suspended while WFH
I can still be put on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) when WFH
I have been put on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) when WFH
I am worried I might underperform against targets when WFH
Managers appear to be worried they have less control over us when WFH

23.23. Have managers adjusted targets for individual workers by taking into account their circumstances?

This part of the survey uses a table of questions,

a.23.a. If you have answered 'yes' to Q.23 indicate the reasons managers have adjusted your individual targets to take account of your WFH.

	Yes	No	Does not apply
Taking account of childcare responsibilities at home
Taking account of caring responsibilities at home
Taking account of issues with my physical health
Taking account of issues with my mental health
Taking account of WiFi or connectivity issues
Taking account of hardware issues
Taking account of software issues
Taking account of problems communicating with external/internal customers
Taking account of issues with my working space
Having provided coaching to help train me
Having reduced work hours to allow for more breaks
Having modified job duties
Having slowed the pace of work
Having clarified instructions to help me focus on tasks
Having allowed extra time to learn how to WFH

This part of the survey uses a table of questions,

24.24. Can you tell us about your experience of working time, hours, shifts and breaks when working at home as compared to the workplace? Please answer the following questions.

	Yes	No	Does not apply
I have to work the same shifts (start/finish times) when WFH
I have to work the same amount of hours when WFH
I have the same number of breaks when WFH
I have the same length of breaks when WFH
If I do not complete tasks in the allotted time I have to work extra time
I have control in deciding my working time
Managers give me flexibility in deciding my shifts
Managers give me flexibility in deciding my hours
Managers give me flexibility in deciding my breaks

Section 3: WFH and Technology

This part of the survey uses a table of questions,

25.25. In terms of connectivity and technology, answer ‘yes’, ‘no’ or ‘does not apply’ to the following statements.

	Yes	No	Does not apply
I am using my own hardware e.g. computer, camera, microphone
My organisation provided me with the necessary hardware
Managers ensured full connectivity with the organisation’s systems to enable WFH
My organisation pays for broadband
Managers allow me to buy equipment which they later pay for
Managers expect me to pay for equipment but don’t refund me
I have had to buy my own equipment

This part of the survey uses a table of questions,

26.26. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about your use of technology when WFH?

	Strongly agree	Agree	Neither	Disagree	Strongly disagree	Does not apply
WiFi works well at home
My telephone works well at home
Overall the technology works as well at home as in workplace
My organisation should pay for my broadband/WiFi
My organisation should pay for my phone bills
My organisation should pay for increases in utility bills
My organisation should pay for ergonomic equipment (e.g. desks and chairs
My organisation should pay for technical equipment (e.g. headsets, cables)
I have enough space to work from home
The chair at my home work station is appropriate
The desk at my home work station is appropriate

Section 4: Health, Safety and Well-being

27.27. Regarding Risk Assessments and Display Screen Equipment (DSE) Regulations, did you have assessments on the following in the workplace BEFORE WFH. Tick all that apply.

28.28. Regarding Risk Assessments and Display Screen Equipment (DSE) Regulations, have you had any of the following SINCE WFH?

This part of the survey uses a table of questions,

29.29. When WFH has management ensured the following?

	Yes	No	Does not apply
You get reminders about DSE regulations
Your laptop has a docking station
You carry out your own assessment on a docked laptop
You take a sufficient number of breaks away from screen and work station
Your breaks are of a sufficient length
You are encouraged to report physical pains or complaints
You are encouraged to report mental ill-health symptoms

This part of the survey uses a table of questions,

30.30. Since WFH have your physical health and mental health improved or worsened?

	Improved a lot	Improved a little	Been the same	Worsened a little	Worsened a lot
Physical health
Mental health

This part of the survey uses a table of questions,

31.31. When WFH how frequently have you experienced the following that you think may be due to working conditions?

	Much more than when working in the office	Rather more than when working in the office	No more than when working in the office	Not at all
Headaches
Impaired vision
Stress
Physical tiredness
Mental fatigue
Sore throat
Voice loss
Increased blood pressure
Sore eyes
Stiff shoulders
Stiff neck
Backache
Coughs
Nasal problems
Earache
Pains or numbness in hands/wrists/arms
Digestive disorders

This part of the survey uses a table of questions,

32.32. The following questions are important for understanding your experiences WFH. Please read each statement and indicate how much the statement applied to you OVER THE PAST WEEK. Please answer honestly. There are no right or wrong answers.

	Did not apply to me at all	Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time	Applied to me to a considerable degree, or a good part of time	Applied to me very much, or most of the time
I found it hard to wind down
I was aware of dryness of my mouth
I couldn’t seem to experience any positive feeling at all
I experienced breathing difficulty (e.g. excessively rapid breathing, breathlessness in the absence of physical exertion)
I found it difficult to work up the initiative to do things
I tended to over-react to situations
I experienced trembling (e.g, in the hands)
I felt that I was using a lot of nervous energy
I was worried about situations in which I might panic and make a fool of myself
I felt that I had nothing to look forward to
I found myself getting agitated
I found it difficult to relax
I felt down-hearted and blue
I was intolerant of anything that kept me from getting on with what I was doing
I felt I was close to panic
I was unable to become enthusiastic about anything
I felt I wasn’t worth much as a person
I felt that I was rather touchy
I was aware of the action of my heart in the absence of physical exertion (e.g. sense of heart rate increase, heart missing a beat)
I felt scared without any good reason
I felt that life was meaningless

33.33. While working from home have you ever worked when unwell and you should not have been working?

34.34. If you have worked when unwell please give the reasons why? TICK all that apply.

This part of the survey uses a table of questions,

35.35. To what extent has WFH impacted on your life outside work? How often have you experienced the following since starting working from home?

	Always	Most of the time	Sometimes	Rarely	Never	Not applicable
Kept worrying about work when you were not working
Felt too tired after work to do some of the household jobs which need to be done
Found that your job prevented you from giving the time you wanted to your family or friends
Found it difficult to concentrate on your job because of your family/care responsibilities
Found that your family/care responsibilities prevented you from giving the time you should to your job

36.36. In general, how do your working hours since you started WFH fit in with your family or social commitments outside of work?

Very well

Well

Not very well

Not at all well

37.37. Since WFH would you say that arranging to take an hour or two off during working hours to take care of personal, family or caring matters has been....?

...very easy

...easy

...difficult

...very difficult

...don't know

38.38. Since WFH how often have you worked in your free time to meet work demands? Choose ONE answer.

Daily

Several times a week

Several times a month

Less often

Never

Not applicable

Section 5: Looking to the Future and Reflecting on the WFH Experience

39.39. When it is safe to return to the workplace, what would your preferred working arrangement be, assuming that you are a full-time worker?

a.39.a. If you are not a full-time worker what would be your preferred arrangement?

40.40. If you want to return to the workplace what are the reasons? Tick all that apply.

a.40.a. Other - please state

41.41. If you want to continue WFH what are the reasons? Tick all that apply.

a.41.a. Other - please state.

42.42. To what extent do you feel socially connected to work colleagues outside of formal communication channels when WFH?

Very well connected

Well connected

Somewhat connected

Not well connected

Not at all connected

a.42.a. Please give reasons for your answer.

This part of the survey uses a table of questions,

43.43. Looking to the future, how worried are you and your colleagues about the following?

	A great deal	To some extent	A little	Not at all
I am worried about potential changes to my contract
Colleagues are worried about potential changes to their contracts
I am worried about the risk from Covid-19 on return to the workplace
Colleagues are worried about the risk from Covid-19 on return to the workplace
I am worried about my job security
Colleagues are worried about their job security
I am worried about reductions in my pay
My colleagues are worried about pay reductions
I am worried about reductions in hours
My colleagues are worried about reductions in hours
I am worried about being compelled to return to the workplace
Colleagues are worried about being compelled to return to the workplace
I am worried that management might use Covid-19 as a reason to automate my job
Colleagues are worried that management might use Covid-19 as a reason to automate their job

44.44. What have been the THREE most positive things about WFH? Please give your MOST IMPORTANT thing here and two other things below.

a.44.a. Most positive things about WFH - number 2.

b.44.b. Most positive things about WFH - number 3.

45.45. What have been the THREE most negative things about WFH? Please give your MOST IMPORTANT thing here and two other things below.

a.45.a. Most negative things about WFH - number 2.

b.45.b. Most negative things about WFH - number 3.

46.46. What THREE things should management do to improve WFH? Please give the MOST IMPORTANT thing here and two other things below.

a.46.a. Most important thing management should do - number 2.

b.46.b. Most important thing management should do - number 3.

47.47. What THREE things should trade unions prioritise in negotiations with management on behalf of those WFH? Please give the MOST IMPORTANT thing here and two other thing below.

a.47.a. Trade unions prioritise in negotiations - number 2.

b.47.b. Trade unions prioritise in negotiations - number 3.

Section 6: Profile

48.48. In what business sector or industry is your organisation located?

a.48.a. Other - please state

49.49. Name of organisation? (Please be reassured that your organisation will be treated in strictest confidence)

50.50. Location of organisation? (Please be reassured that your location will be treated in strictest confidence)

51.51. What is your gender?

52.52. Are you a contact/call centre worker?

53.53. What is your occupation?

54.54. Which of the following best describes your job grade?

55.55. Which of the following best describes your contract?

56.56. What is your gross annual income?

57.57. Which of the following best describes your ethnicity?

58.58. Do you have a long-standing disability or infirmity?

a.58.a. Does you organisation make reasonable adjustments to enable you to WFH?

b.58.b. If yes, does this disability or infirmity limit your work activities?

i.58.b.i. If yes, please explain.

59.59. What is your age?

60.60. Length of service with current organisation?

61.61. In your household, who do you live with? Tick all that apply.

Living alone

Living with partner

Living with children

Living with parents

Living with friends

62.62. In your household, how is your workspace organised? Tick all that apply,

I have a separate workspace for myself

I negotiate allocated workspace time with other household members

I share workspace with other household members

63.63. How many children do you have in your household? Please give the answer as a number e.g. 0, 1, 2, 3.

a.63.a. How many children of school age? Please give answer as number, e.g. 0, 1, 2.

b.63.b. How many children under school age? Please give answer as number, e.g. 0, 1, 2.

64.64. Do you have caring responsibilities other than for children in your household?

a.64.a. If ‘yes’ please give details of your caring responsibilities.

65.65. Approximately how many miles are there between your home and workplace? Please give you answer in numbers e.g. 8, 12, 20.

66.66. What is your usual mode of transport between home and work? Tick all that apply.

Walk

Cycle

Private car

Shared car

Train

Bus

Taxi

Tram

Tube/underground

67.67. How long on average does your commute TO WORK take? Please give your answer in number of minutes. e.g. 20, 45

68.68. How long on average does your commute FROM WORK take? Please give your answer in number of minutes e.g. 20, 45

69.69. What level of risk from Covid-19 do you fear from commuting to and from work?

A great deal

To some extent

A little

None

70.70. Are you a trade union member?

a.70.a. If ‘yes’ what trade union?

i.70.a.i. If you are not a member of a trade union and you would like to receive information about how trade unions are protecting workers during Covid-19, please leave your email. This information will be treated ins strictest confidence.

Section 7: Comments

71.71. Please comment on any of the issues raised in this survey. Your comments can really help in improving conditions for office workers WFH. Your thoughts about your work in the future in the context of Covid-19 are particularly welcome.

	Strongly Agree	Agree	Neither	Disagree	Strongly Disagree	Does Not apply
I was worried I would catch Covid-19 from working in the office
I was worried I would give Covid-19 to my family or friends
I was worried my work colleagues would contract Covid-19
I was worried I would catch Covid-19 from public transport to and from work

	Very Risky	Quite Risky	A Little Risky	Not Risky	Does Not Apply
Degree of social distancing when at work station
Degree of social distancing walking through building
Level of sanitisation/cleanliness of work station
Level of sanitisation/cleanliness of toilets
Taking the lifts
Entering and exiting the building
Work station being used by others/hotdesking
Equipment at work station e.g. phone, PC
Team meetings
1-1 meetings with team leaders or managers
Meetings with colleagues
Using office equipment (e.g. photocopiers)
Heating Ventilation & Air Conditioning systems
Sitting at work station for long periods