Workspace for female telecommuters living in an urban apartment house with children

Abstract

WFH-related issues regarding house planning, spatial arrangements, and relationships among cohabitants for sharing spaces remain to be clarified. This research aimed to clarify the usage patterns of shared spaces for work-from-home (WFH) and the respective behavioral patterns in different household compositions, targeting women in the child-rearing stage and residing with family in residential building estates in urban areas. Forty-four percent (n = 199) of women performing childcare who regularly telecommuted had a spouse or partner who also telecommuted, and 65.6% (n = 328) had a child at home while telecommuting. Male spouses or partners (male) did less than half of the housework (12.7%) and childcare (19.8%) than women (41.0% housework, 34.4% childcare). Women primarily used dining rooms for office work (n = 221; 44.2%). When the children were at home during telecommuting, the unclear distinction between work and home was not a deficiency but rather an inevitable acceptance, and a tendency to work in a corner overlooking the common area was observed. When both spouses telecommute without children, men work in their bedrooms or private rooms, whereas women work in common areas, such as the dining room. Simultaneously, women tended to seek spaces dedicated to their work and keep their workspaces separate from common area.