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Good to be home? Time‐use and satisfaction levels among home‐based teleworkers
Author(s) -
Wheatley Dan
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
new technology, work and employment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.889
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1468-005X
pISSN - 0268-1072
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-005x.2012.00289.x
Subject(s) - leisure satisfaction , work time , work (physics) , constraint (computer aided design) , psychology , working hours , leisure time , work hours , demographic economics , panel data , distribution (mathematics) , social psychology , medicine , labour economics , engineering , physical activity , economics , econometrics , physical medicine and rehabilitation , mechanical engineering , mathematical analysis , mathematics
Home‐based teleworking ( HbTW ) has the potential to provide significant benefits to both employer and employee, but also presents considerable challenges. This paper considers HbTW among UK employees, specifically exploring distinctions in the time‐use of men and women home‐based teleworkers and the impacts of HbTW on employee satisfaction levels, using cross‐section fixed effects panel regression analysis of the B ritish H ousehold P anel S urvey . Findings reveal that total time‐use in work activities among men and women home‐based teleworkers is relatively comparable, but the distribution significantly different. For women, housework represents a particular time constraint, reflecting continued presence of the ‘double‐shift’. Homeworkers report greater levels of satisfaction, yet they are more pronounced in respect to paid work than leisure time. Extensive hours of housework reported among women may explain these differences. Nevertheless, home‐based teleworkers report greater levels of satisfaction than other workers, suggesting considerable benefits especially for working mothers.