Remote Work Realities: Impact of Work-from-Home Policies on Employee Productivity
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53983/ijmds.v14n5.002Keywords:
Work-from-Home, Productivity, IT Sector, Manufacturing Sector, Regression AnalysisAbstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped the global work landscape, prompting organizations across sectors to adopt Work-from-Home (WFH) policies as a necessity. As this model evolves into a long-term strategy, it becomes imperative to evaluate its impact on employee productivity across different sectors. This study investigates the effect of WFH policy perceptions on employee productivity, with a comparative analysis of two contrasting sectors: Information Technology (IT) and Manufacturing. A structured questionnaire was administered to 276 employees focusing on key dimensions such as policy clarity, managerial support, communication, work-life balance, and resource availability. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, frequency distribution, and regression analysis to assess the relationship between WFH policy scores and productivity scores. The findings reveal that demographic factors such as gender, age, education, and job level significantly influence WFH experiences. Frequency analysis indicated that while task completion and resource availability were positively rated, challenges remained around work-life balance and focus. Sector-wise regression analysis showed a significant negative relationship between WFH policy and productivity in the IT sector, likely due to digital fatigue and stress. In contrast, the Manufacturing sector exhibited a positive and significant relationship, suggesting that structured WFH frameworks enhance performance in administrative roles. The study concludes that while WFH can be productive, its success is highly sector-dependent. These insights are valuable for organizations aiming to develop effective hybrid work models and employee well-being strategies.
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