Source: Voice of America Learning English
Article: Telework: The Pros and Cons
Link: https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/pros-and-cons-of-teleworking/3834726.html
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The two co-wrote the report. They say the findings of the study are unclear and, in some cases, contradictory.
For example, the researchers found that on the one hand, teleworkers “report reduced commuting time, more time for their families and a better balance between work and personal life; on the other hand, they also report an increase in working hours, a blurring of the boundaries between paid work and personal life and more work-life interference.”
For some people, teleworking adds more family-work conflict; for others teleworking lowers family-work conflicts. For some people, teleworking lowered stress; for others it led to higher levels of stress and other health problems such as sleep disorders.
Vargas explains that some of the pros are less commuting time and greater freedom, or as he says, autonomy. One of the cons is working longer hours.
“Among the positive effects, we find the reduction of commuting time leading to greater work autonomy, more flexibility, better overall work-life balance and higher productivity. There are also disadvantages. For example, these workers tend to work longer.”
How teleworking affects the health and lifestyle of workers seems to depend on how much and what type of teleworking they are doing.
