Remote Work, Work Stress, and Work-Life during Pandemic Times: A Latin America Situation.

Area of Science:

• * Social Sciences
• * Business and Management
• * Psychology

Background:

• * The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a global shift towards remote work, altering traditional work-life dynamics.
• * Understanding the impact of this transition on employee well-being and performance is crucial, especially in diverse cultural contexts like Latin America.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To investigate the intricate relationships between remote work, work stress, work-life balance, productivity, and engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• * To examine the moderating role of perceived stress and identify gender-specific differences in the remote work context.

Main Methods:

• * A quantitative study utilizing a Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) approach.
• * Data collected from 1285 respondents between April and May 2020, focusing on the Latin American region.

Main Results:

• * Remote work was associated with increased perceived stress (β = 0.269), reduced work-life balance (β = -0.225), and lower work satisfaction (β = -0.190).
• * Conversely, remote work led to increased productivity (β = 0.120) and engagement (β = 0.120).
• * Perceived stress showed a partial moderating effect, and men's productivity was more acutely affected by stress than women's in remote settings.

Conclusions:

• * The shift to remote work during the pandemic presented a dual impact, enhancing productivity and engagement while simultaneously increasing stress and diminishing work-life balance.
• * Perceived stress plays a complex role, and gender differences necessitate tailored strategies to mitigate negative impacts and leverage benefits of remote work.
• * Findings highlight the need for organizational support and policies addressing the psychological and work-life challenges associated with remote employment.