Temporal aspects of telework and its impact on work-family conflict

Abstract

Telework is the engagement in work outside of a regular office setting by means of the use of information and communication technology (ICT). Findings reported in the literature are mixed with some studies having argued that telework provides workers the opportunity to better balance work and private roles. In contrast others have argued telework blurs the boundaries between work and private life thus creating competing objectives and conflict. This research in progress seeks to examine these inconsistencies by distinguishing between telework activity before and after office working hours. We predict that increased engagement in telework outside of office hours will contribute to stronger perceptions of work-family conflict, while greater engagement in telework during office hours will lessen perceptions of work overload and work-family conflict.