Workload and Productivity during Work from Home (WFH) for the Construction Workforce

A large number of employees shifted to Work from home (WFH) due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the construction workforce. The changes in workload and productivity due to WFH impact the work performance and economic outputs of companies. However, there are mixed results about the impacts of WFH on workload and productivity. In particular, limited studies focused on specific types of work of different occupations in the construction workforce. This study aims to explore the impacts of WFH on workload and productivity considering different types of work for the construction workforce in the U.S. After identifying three main occupations and five types of work, an online survey (N = 69) was distributed. Descriptive analysis showed that participants had less workload (0.82 hours/week) and lower productivity (9.69%) during WFH. Three occupations had varied changes due to the different types of work. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) indicated that there was no significant difference in workload, while productivity was decreased during WFH. In particular, the productivity of project-related work and communication and documentation decreased significantly. Overall, participants finished 2.85% less workload per week during WFH. The findings provide an insight into WFH in the construction workforce, which improves future remote or hybrid work arrangements in the construction industry.