Managing Work-from-home Realities: Insights from Employee Experiences and Organizational Implications

Abstract

This article examines employees’ experiences of working from home (WFH) during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on the challenges, conflicts, needs and support systems involved. It also proposes how organizations can help employees WFH meet expectations and maintain high performance. This exploratory study applied qualitative content analysis on data collected through an open-ended questionnaire survey. A total of 621 responses were analysed, and key themes were identified and interpreted. Findings show that while employees generally view the WFH experience positively, work–family boundary violations were common due to interruptions from family members and disrupted work schedules. Situational factors such as limited space and poor connectivity reduced the benefits of WFH and led to dissatisfaction and stress. The findings highlight the need for organizations to create and implement clear WFH policies, manage expectations, provide strong technological support, improve communication and build inclusive employee support systems. These recommendations, based on WFH employees’ experiences, could improve the WFH experience and boost employee well-being and productivity.