Is Smart Working Beneficial for Workers' Wellbeing? A Longitudinal Investigation of Smart Working, Workload, and Hair Cortisol/Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Alessandra Falco; Damiano Girardi; Achim Elfering; Tanja Peric; Isabella Pividori; Laura Dal Corso

doi:10.3390/ijerph20136220

Is Smart Working Beneficial for Workers' Wellbeing? A Longitudinal Investigation of Smart Working, Workload, and Hair Cortisol/Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Jun 24;20(13):6220. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20136220.

Authors

Alessandra Falco¹, Damiano Girardi¹, Achim Elfering², Tanja Peric³, Isabella Pividori³, Laura Dal Corso¹

Affiliations

¹ FISPPA Section of Applied Psychology, University of Padua, 35131 Padua, Italy.
² Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.
³ Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Animal Sciences, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy.

Abstract

Building on the job demands-resources (JD-R) and allostatic load (AL) models, in the present study we examined the role of smart working (SW) in the longitudinal association between workload/job autonomy (JA) and a possible biomarker of work-related stress (WRS) in the hair-namely, the cortisol-dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA(S)) ratio-during the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, 124 workers completed a self-report questionnaire (i.e., psychological data) at Time 1 (T1) and provided a strand of hair (i.e., biological data) three months later (Time 2, T2). Results from moderated multiple regression analysis showed that SW at T1 was negatively associated with the hair cortisol/DHEA(S) ratio at T2. Additionally, the interaction between workload and SW was significant, with workload at T1 being positively associated with the hair cortisol/DHEA(S) ratio at T2 among smart workers. Overall, this study indicates that SW is a double-edged sword, with both positive and negative consequences on employee wellbeing. Furthermore, our findings suggest that the hair cortisol/DHEA(S) ratio is a promising biomarker of WRS. Practical implications that organizations and practitioners can adopt to prevent WRS and promote organizational wellbeing are discussed.

Keywords: COVID-19; biomarker; dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate; hair cortisol; organizational wellbeing; smart working; work-related stress; workload.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Biomarkers
COVID-19* / epidemiology
Dehydroepiandrosterone
Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate
Hair
Humans
Hydrocortisone
Occupational Stress* / epidemiology
Pandemics
Stress, Psychological / psychology
Workload

Substances

Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate
Dehydroepiandrosterone
Hydrocortisone
Biomarkers

Grants and funding

This research was funded by the Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education, and Applied Psychology (FISPPA), University of Padua, grant number #BIRD205979 (L.D.C.). The APC received no external funding.