Factors Associated with the Work Engagement of Employees Working from Home during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan

Abstract

This study aimed to identify factors influencing the work engagement of employees working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan. Employees’ work engagement was examined using the following survey questions: “Do you feel energized when you are at work? (yes or no)” and “Do you take pride in your work? (yes or no)” After adjusting for potential confounders, Poisson regression was used to examine prevalence ratio and 95% confidence intervals for employees’ work engagement. We analyzed 15,670 individuals (11,894 of whom did not work from home and 3776 of whom worked from home). Their mean age was 45.6 ± 13.8 years, and 58.3% were men. Those who worked from home were younger than those who did not (43.9 ± 13.1 vs. 46.1 ± 13.9, p < 0.001). About 44% of all employees reported high work engagement. Among the employees who worked from home, an increase in sleep hours, effective interactions with supervisors, and working hours of ≤40 h/week were associated with engagement. Sensitivity analysis showed similar results. Close communication with superiors, refraining from working long hours, and obtaining adequate sleep may boost the work engagement of employees working from home.