Working from home during lockdown: the association between rest breaks and well-being

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Psychology
• Human Factors

Background:

• Working from home (WFH) presents challenges to employee health and well-being.
• The health impacts of WFH are not yet extensively studied.
• Knowledge workers are increasingly adopting WFH arrangements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between rest break frequency during the workday and health outcomes in WFH knowledge workers.
• To examine the impact of rest breaks on self-reported musculoskeletal pain and post-work recovery symptoms.
• To understand the relationship between work demands, recovery, and well-being in remote work settings.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study involving 382 WFH knowledge workers.
• Operationalized internal recovery through rest break frequency (low, medium, high).
• Assessed self-reported musculoskeletal pain symptoms and post-work recovery (fatigue, detachment, rest).

Main Results:

• Failing to take frequent rest breaks was associated with a dose-response increase in headache risk.
• Infrequent breaks correlated with higher risks of psychological and physical fatigue, and sleep problems.
• Lack of breaks decreased the likelihood of psychological detachment from work and adequate rest.

Conclusions:

• Regular rest breaks are crucial for maintaining health and well-being among remote workers.
• WFH knowledge workers should be educated on the importance of incorporating frequent breaks.
• Proactive behavioral regulation, including taking breaks, is essential for mitigating negative health effects of WFH.