This chapter presents an overview of occupational health in remote work from the self-care perspective. A literature review regarding remote working conditions and their effects on health and well-being is included, along with an analysis of the most relevant self-care and practices that have been developed for working at the distance. The study focuses on faculty, specifically at a private university in Puebla, Mexico, and the effects of the pandemic-induced remote work schemes on their well-being, along with the most common ailments that emerged from remote working conditions and self-care practices that can be adopted to prevent or reduce them. A survey was conducted among faculty members to understand the health implications of remote work and what people have been doing to deal with them. The concept of health circles is introduced to help explain specific actions taken to promote self-care and group care.
TopIntroduction
The health crisis took the world by surprise, affecting every aspect of human life with restrictions such as quarantines, confinement, and social distancing measures. Higher Education Institutions were no exception and had to adapt to comply with the limitations imposed by the pandemic. Initially, universities worldwide had to decide whether to suspend courses until the situation started to fade, which would have produced significant disruptions to educational calendars considering the uncertainty surrounding the crisis, or developing and implementing strategies that would allow courses to continue on their traditional time frames. Initially, there were expectations that the crisis would subside in a matter of months. However, what started as an emergency response continued for more than a year and a half.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the effects of remote work had been analyzed in terms of positive effects on mental health, general well-being, and increased productivity. Remote work was an ideal form of work in which employees would relax, manage their own time under flexible conditions, and possibly working in an idyllic paradise. However, the health crisis imposed remote employment under utterly different working conditions, not as a choice for most workers, but a decision to maintain jobs for some. Changes did not occur in the expected conditions of freedom and independence but were restricted by safe distancing measures in less-than-optimal conditions at home. Under this scenario, the effects of remote work started to be analyzed in negative terms based on the adverse impact it had on mental health and general well-being, as well as productivity.
Because of a lack of preparation time to move to remote work, most homes were ill-prepared, lacking the primary conditions such as internet connectivity, privacy, soundproofing, and even ergonomic furniture to provide a good working environment (International Labor Organization, 2020). These conditions resulted in various health-related problems, accidents, and injuries that were not traditionally considered work-related because they happened in the privacy of the home but are now taken into account as part of workplace safety risks.
As remote work extended in different sectors, concerns for self-care grew due to the underlying challenges of not working in an office environment, the extended working hours facing a computer or other digital devices, frequent interruptions, and the need to tend to specific family or home issues during working hours.
In Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), the transition to remote work was done virtually overnight. Universities and students expected courses to continue seamlessly; therefore, everything had to move online in a matter of days without proper training about the tools required to teach in a virtual format. Initial difficulties faced by faculty resulted in increased stress and excess working hours. Pandemic burnout became rampant in academia due to working conditions that demanded continuous long-term physical, cognitive, or emotional efforts (Gewin, 2021). Workplace stress in academia has become a global issue that can lead to anxiety and depression and other problems. A study developed by the Chronicle of Higher Education (2020) determined that most faculty are experiencing elevated levels of frustration, anxiety, and stress and are struggling with increased workloads and deterioration of work-life balance. Many are even considering retiring or changing careers and leaving higher education.
The abrupt and, later on, prolonged changes to the work routine of professors also exacerbated existing inequalities in HEIs. Therefore, it is essential to analyze the effects on remote workers' health and general well-being in the education sector. This chapter aims to present the results of a survey about the effects of remote work on the health and well-being of faculty in a private university in Puebla, Mexico, and their coping mechanisms and self-care strategies. This will help shed some light on the leading health and well-being challenges that employees and employers faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the most common ailments that emerged from remote working conditions.