Home-based Telework at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: A research into the effect of imposed Home-based Telework (HbTW) due to the COVID-19 crisis on employee well-being and the moderating effect of organisational support.

Abstract

Home-based Telework (HbTW) is an HR-practice which was imposed on employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (BZ) during the COVID-19 crisis, in order to continue its work processes. The effect of this implementation on employee well-being is unknown. The goal of this study is to see to what extent involuntary HbTW affects the various dimensions of employee well-being, and how that effect is moderated by organisational support from the Ministry. The job demands-resources (JD-R) model is used to research this relation, where involuntary HbTW is the demand and organisational support the resource. The analysis of a survey which was sent to employees of BZ (N = 123) shows that (a) involuntary HbTW is seen as a challenging demand; (b) involuntary HbTW has a positive effect on some dimensions of employee well-being, and no effect on others; and (c) that organisational support by BZ does not have a moderating effect on the relation between involuntary HbTW and the various dimensions of employee well-being. In conclusion, imposing HbTW to continue the work processes of the Ministry had no negative effect on employee well-being, and in some cases even a positive effect.