What are we trying to do?
We will describe changes in working arrangements brought about by Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, among employed adults aged 50 years and above. Particularly, we will focus on those who now work from home but previously worked at their place of employment. We will then investigate how these new working arrangements impact on levels of physical activity and mental health.

 

Why is it important?
During the first lockdown associated with Covid-19, the UK government advised the UK workforce to work from home where possible. However, these changes in working practices could impact on a wide range of other factors such as physical activity and mental health. The impact of working from home on these health outcomes need to be evaluated to ensure that best working practices are being achieved and that home workers are not detrimentally affected, and appropriate support is provided. With continued restrictions in place for the foreseeable future, it is important to ensure there is a good balance for the workforce between productivity and wellbeing.

 

This research on the impact of the lockdown restrictions on home working, physical activity levels, and homeworker health, will be useful to policy makers and employers to inform and implement policies and pathways to promote homeworker health and aid a healthier ageing process.

 

How are we doing it?
Using national representative survey data, we will investigate inequalities within the population that may have become more pronounced in light of Covid-19.

 

In addition to the trends in homeworking, physical activity, and mental health identified in the survey data, we will perform a more detailed analysis of the new cohort of homeworkers, particularly in the 50 to 70 year age group, to build a picture of the change in working practices and how this has impacted the population, using a mixed methods approach.

 

 

More information

 

 

 

Programme Manager
Gill Rizzello
gill.rizzello@manchester.ac.uk