Heiko Rüger, Federal Institute for Population Research - Working from Home and Working Time (Mis)Match

Title: Working from Home and Working Time (Mis)Match

Co-authors: Inga Laß (Melbourne Institute) and Nico Stawarz (Federal Institute for Population Research)

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic saw a marked increase in the incidence of working from home (WFH), which has stimulated interest in whether this working arrangement is beneficial or detrimental to workers. While several studies have associated WFH with longer working hours and overtime, little is known about how home workers perceive their working hours and, in particular, the extent to which their actual working hours match their preferences. Using 23 waves of panel data from the Australian HILDA Survey covering the period 2001 to 2023, we examine the association between the extent of WFH and two types of working time mismatch: underemployment (i.e., the desire to work more hours) and overemployment (i.e., the desire to work fewer hours). We also consider the moderating role of gender, parental status and the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of the fixed effects logistic regression models suggest that, for both genders, small proportions of time spent working from home are associated with an increased likelihood of overemployment relative to not WFH, while large proportions of WFH are associated with an increased likelihood of underemployment. Overall, only mothers benefit from WFH in terms of better working time matching, and only if they work extensively from home.

Presenter:  Heiko Rüger,Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB)

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