ABSTRACT
A sizeable number of employees throughout Canada are continuing to telework following the COVID-19 pandemic. Cou-ples who telework may experience tension between their work and personal life. Telework may also have positive and negative impacts on work-life wellness depending on employee circumstances. For example, teleworking women with children may be expected to prioritize their home and family over their work. COVID-relat-ed restrictions have eased across Canada, which allow for increased freedom around home and work arrangements. It is plausible that a long-term shift towards allowing employees to work remotely full or part-time will occur, and with that, there will be associated changes in family dynamics as both part-ners adjust to this "new normal. " In response to the complex rela-tionship between teleworking and work-life wellness in the context of couples, the first author has pro-posed a study to research work-life wellness for teleworking couples, addressing the research question, "how do teleworking couples construct and cultivate work-life wellness together? ". It is anticipat-ed that this study will foster under-standing of work-life wellness in teleworking couples, and inform policies, counselling techniques, and future research.
ABSTRACT
Understanding work-life wellness contributes to improving the physical health, mental health, and productivity of remote workers. Due to physical distancing guidelines associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, many employees have been working from home, often without adequate training and resources. How has the work-life wellness of remote workers been impacted by this rapid transition to remote work, and how can work-life wellness be improved during and beyond these unprecedented times? Scholarly analyses about COVID-19 and remote work were reviewed, along with publications about remote work and work-life wellness. The literature indicates that the work-life wellness of remote workers could be influenced by lack of organizational supports during the transition to remote work, combined with COVID-19 related stress. Beyond the pandemic, organizations and employees will need support to find suitable remote work plans. Career development practitioners can assist clients by being aware of how the transition to remote work may be further complicated by home dynamics, COVID stress, overworking, and challenges collaborating. More research is needed to better support the new remote workforce, including choosing the most relevant construct to describe the relationship between work and life, understanding how COVID stress influences work-life wellness in the long term, and testing related training programs.