Maintaining work-family balance during a lockdown

As part of a research partnership, Prof. Marine Agogué’s team investigated work-family balance strategies that were implemented in a company, in order to identify their effects on the performance and quality of life of employees.

COVID-19 challenges the practical modalities of working

• The pandemic forced many organizations to switch to widespread teleworking.
• Many employees ended up having to balance their work and family obligations at the same time and in the same place.

Toolkits to facilitate teleworking and improve quality of life

• Three groups of Hydro-Québec employees received three different kits, some containing practical reconciliation tools created by social enterprise Yapouni.
• Employees who used these tools reported better job satisfaction, and estimated that their telework performance was better than their office work performance.
• The study also reveals that in order to maintain a work-life balance, a new relationship has to be formed innovatively between the employee, his employer and those around him.

Suggested links:

Marine Agogue website

[La Presse] Études Hydro-Québec-HEC : trousse à outils pour le télétravail (in French only)