CSRDA Discussion Paper Series

No. 59 An Empirical Study of the Impacts of Telework during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan According to Company and Employee Surveys
Kazunori Minetaki, Hiroki Idota
Kazunori MinetakiKindai University
Hiroki IdotaKindai University
TeleworkWFH(Work from Home)WLB(Work-Life Balance)HRM(Human Resources Management)Communication
Goal 5: Gender EqualityGoal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
Comprehensive Survey on Labor Management of Teleworkers, 2020 (Employment Environment and Equal Opportunity Bureau, Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare)

This study empirically analyzes the effects of telework based on the "Comprehensive Survey on Labor Management of Telework, 2020" (Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare), which includes company and employee surveys. According to the results of statistical analyses of a company survey, we conclude that telework impacts productivity, work-life balance (WLB), human resources management (HRM), ensuring business continuity in the event of natural disasters or infectious disease outbreaks. The effect of providing opportunities for career development, which differs in terms of creative work and routine operations, is the main contribution of this study. Additionally, we reveal, using an employee survey, how days spent teleworking make it easier to balance work and life, and that this effect is the largest when more than 21 days are spent teleworking. We find that an improvement in in ICT knowledge and skills affects the days spent teleworking and that the self-management of work hours affects WLB positively. In contrast, worrying that one’s boss thinks an individual is “slacking off” (or that his or her subordinates are “slacking off”) and lacking a space at home to focus on work negatively affect WLB.