Public servants working from home during the pandemic: Who gained and who lost?

Abstract

Employees experienced both advantages and disadvantages while working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers have examined these impacts on women and those with caring responsibilities; however, little research has examined the impacts on other groups of employees, such as those with a disability or employed on a casual basis. In this article, we focus on the public sector and examine who gained and who lost while working from home, based on a 2020 survey of over 5000 Australian public servants. We have constructed loss and gain indices to measure three elements of a change model, which enables an evaluation of the impacts on various groups of employees. The elements of change management examined are operational areas, performance management, and beliefs and values. To analyse the factors affecting gains and losses, as summarised in the indices, we applied a statistical model estimated using linear regression methods. Our findings reveal that, on average, survey participants experienced a net gain. Families and employees with a disability gained; however, women gained less than men in the first two categories and gained more than men on the beliefs and values category. These findings highlight areas on which public service organisations need to focus as we enter a COVID-normal era.

Points for practitioners

• The benefits and drawbacks of working from home differ according to employee demographics.
• Overall, lower level employees and those employed on a casual basis gained less than higher level employees and those employed full time.
• Women gained less than men in relation to how work was operationalised and performed.
• These differential impacts highlight areas on which public sector organisations need to focus in a COVID-normal era.