ArticleScandinavian journal of work, environment & health2025
The impact of telework allowance and utilization on physiological and perceived stress among Swedish white-collar workers.
Article in Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Economic, environmental, and social sustainability in scheduled hybrid office work.Annals of work exposures and health · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveWe aimed to assess the impact of telework conditions on stress levels among 294 Swedish white-collar workers.
methodsTelework during the COVID-19 pandemic was evaluated in terms of the allowance to telework (ie, the degree to which the employee could decide whether to telework), and the utilization of that allowance, using self-reported questions with answers dichotomized into 'high' and 'low'. Perceived stress was measured using the Single Item Stress Question and physiological stress was measured using parameters of heart rate variability (HRV) continuously for three days [root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD) and standard deviation of the interbeat intervals of normal heart beats (SDNN)]. Multilevel linear mixed models examined the effects of telework allowance and utilization on perceived stress and HRV during work, leisure and sleep.
resultsHigh allowance was associated with higher HRV (lower stress), while a high utilization of telework was associated with higher perceived stress and lower HRV (more stress). After adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, and objectively measured physical activity, these associations became smaller and/or non-significant, with exception of high allowance still being positively associated with higher RMSSD.
conclusionsOur findings indicate that allowing employees more autonomy in telework decisions (ie, a high allowance in this study) is associated with reduced physiological stress. These results can be used by organizations to improve telework conditions (how, where and how much), while being observant that white-collar workers do not utilize increased autonomy to work extensively and for long hours outside work. Further verification, preferably using prospective designs, is needed to confirm our results.
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Registered trials
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