Managers’ Interference with Employees’ Lifestyles While Working Remotely during COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to identify what factors influence employees’ opinions on supervisors’ interference with their lifestyles in remote working conditions during COVID-19. Our sample included 1000 participants, both managers and non-managers. Outcomes variables included the following: managerial interference with the lifestyle of employees, acceptance of different lifestyles, and unequal treatment of employees in relation to their lifestyle. Explanatory variables related to employees’ characteristics included sex, age, education and seniority and the position in the company (managers/workers), size of the team of employees, size of the organization, characteristics of work (individual/teamwork), as well as the degree of formality in employees’ behaviors. Analysis was conducted using logistic regression in a multivariate analysis of individual (employee-side) and organizational determinants. Our research has shown that lifestyle acceptance, lifestyle interference when working remotely, and unequal treatment of employees based on lifestyle are determined as follows: the organization’s characteristics, the nature of the work, and the social characteristics of the employees. Our findings contribute to understanding how remote work is perceived in relation to employees’ lifestyles. These insights can help organizations develop effective policies and practices regarding, for example, health interventions to support and not unreasonably interfere with their privacy.