Examining the Impact of Telework on Family Wellbeing: A Difference-in-Differences Approach

• In Event: 50220 - Section on Organizations, Occupations, and Work Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 10: Remote Work

Abstract

The widespread shift to telework has redefined the intersection of work and family life, yet its causal effects, independent of the pandemic, remain largely underexplored. Grounded in theories of work autonomy and coworker community, this study develops a new conceptual model and employs a difference-in-differences design to estimate the impact of telework on family economic hardships and individual mental well-being. Using U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey data (October 2022–December 2023), our preliminary findings reveal nuanced impacts: (1) Remote working reduces family economic hardships, while (2) Hybrid working is linked to increased individual mental health challenges among parents. Our preliminary findings suggest that online working’s impact varies across different groups, highlighting the complexity of causal relationships and the need for further investigation into how telework shapes household functioning in the evolving future of work.

Authors

• Qianyi Sinyee Lu, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

• Lingxin Hao, Johns Hopkins University