Comparing teleworkers and traditional workers: Differences in social isolation, burnout, work-life balance and job satisfaction

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic caused an unprecedented change in the lives of many workers around the world. The pandemic has had an impact on our social and economic lives, our habits, the way we do business, and the way we do our work. Suddenly, digital platforms have taken over the standard working environments and routines that existed before the pandemic. This change in working life had an impact on employees' attitudes and satisfaction. This study aimed to investigate the impact of social isolation, burnout, and work-life balance differences between teleworkers and traditional workers on job satisfaction in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era. The study was conducted on a sample of 938 employees using structural equation modeling and multi-group analysis. Results of the study show that the relationship between social isolation and job satisfaction differs between teleworkers and traditional workers. More specifically, the impact of social isolation on burnout and work-life balance is lower for teleworkers than for traditional workers. Furthermore, social isolation does not have a direct impact on teleworkers' job satisfaction. However, its impact is mediated through burnout and work-life balance.