Association of Preference and Frequency of Teleworking with Work Functioning Impairment: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study of Japanese Full-Time Employees.

Abstract

We examined whether teleworking preference and frequency were associated with work functioning impairment. This online cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire among 27,036 full-time Japanese workers. The Work Functioning Impairment Scale was used to measure work functioning impairment, and we performed multilevel logistic regression analysis. Higher odds ratios for work functioning impairment were observed among employees who preferred to telework compared with those who preferred working in the workplace. A similar trend was observed among employees who teleworked four or more days a week compared with those who almost never teleworked. When teleworking preference and frequency were adjusted, only teleworking preference was associated with work functioning impairment. A preference for teleworking was associated with work functioning impairment and one factor that increased the teleworking frequency.