Predictors of Employees’ Preference for Working from Home Post-Pandemic

Abstract

The global pandemic of 2020-21 has enabled an examination of the conditions under which working from home is preferred. We examine whether work-life conflict (both work interfering with family and family interfering with work) and need fulfillment (autonomy, relatedness, competence) can be used to predict employees’ preference for working from home in the future, post-pandemic. With a sample of 944 employees working from home for the first time, this study found that work-life conflict was negatively related and need fulfillment was positively related to employees’ preference for working from home post-pandemic. The experience of having children at home or a partner who was also working from home did not affect employees’ long-term preference for working from home; however, being female did. Women were less likely to want to work from home post-pandemic. The implications for ways to maximize the experience of working from home in the future are discussed.