Dissertation Assignment

Table of Contents Abstract 4 Introduction 5 1.0 Literature review 6 1.1 Motivation Theories and Models 6 1.1.0 Content Theories 6 1.1.1 Maslow’s 6 1.2 Process theories 9 1.3 Effects of COVID-19 on Employment Situations 11 1.4 Teleworking in COVID-19 Pandemic 12 1.4 Common Challenges of Teleworking during COVID-19 12 1.5 The relevance of Motivation Theories in Teleworking during COVID-19 Pandemic 14 1.6 Effective Leadership and Management of Teleworkers during COVID-19 16 1.7 The Rationale of the Study 17 2.0 Research Methodology 18 2.1 Scope of Research 20 2.2 Sampling of participants 20 2.3 Questions for Managers interviews 21 2.3 Survey Questions for teleworking employees 23 2.4 Data Presentation 25 2.5 Ethical Issues of the Research 25 3.0 Research Findings 26 4.0 Data Analysis 31 5.0 Research Recommendations 34 5.1 Employee engagement in teleworking during COVID-19pandemic 34 5.2 Telework training for both managers and employees. 35 5.3 Improving communication in telework 35 5.4 Transparency and Management Openness 35 5.5 Safety as a priority in teleworking during the pandemic 36 5.6 Empathetic Management during the COVID-19 Pandemic 36 5.7 Flexibility of teleworking 36 5.8 Designing new ways of motivating employees 37 5.9 Planning ahead for the company 37 6.0 Conclusion 37 7.0 References 40 8.0 Annex 43

Since the COVID-19 pandemic first hit China in November 2019, businesses have been forced to alter their operational structures to fit the pandemic’s control requirements and guidelines. The enforcement of lockdowns and curfews as measures to curb the spread of the virus lasted longer than expected – people thought that the virus would have been contained in just a few weeks and life would be back to some normalcy. It has not turned out that way. In fact, over twelve months later, the pandemic has impacted every city of the world, and now surviving the pandemic while operating in business is the new normal. Teleworking is the best tool that organizations have adopted to ensure that their business operations are not halted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Working remotely from the comfort of the couch at home is the new normal for business operations. However, some human resources management experts perceive fault lines that threaten to affect employee motivation while working remotely during the pandemic. Apart from death caused by the deadly virus, fear and uncertainty have gripped people and affected their mental stability and behavior. As a result, a general lack of motivation for work has been observed. This paper bases its study on the thesis that employees are less motivated overall due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and telework. From this point of view, the paper shall pinpoint the factors that directly affect teleworking during the pandemic and their probable causes. It shall also discover the difficulties of teleworking and the essentiality of businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic and their impact on employees’ motivation. Insightfully, the paper will also study how business leadership and human resource management impacts the motivation of employees working remotely.

Key Words: Telework, Teleworking during COVID-19, COVID-19and telework, Working remotely, telecommuting.

While conducting this research, three things were in consideration: Teleworking during COVID-19 and its challenges, how COVID-19 has affected the motivation of remote workers, and how remote managers are ensuring that their employees remain motivated while telecommuting. From these perspectives, the paper will tailor the research towards identifying the challenges of teleworking during the pandemic and the solutions to the problem. The pandemic has increased employee stress levels, most of the stresses being factors out of their control and the control of their employers (Chong, et al., 2020). According to Chong (2020), an increase in stress levels among teleworking employees has caused them to change their behaviors with some losing interest in things that used to motivate them in pursuit of other things that are of opposite interests. The shift of interest is claimed to also alter the level of motivation of employees.

On the other hand, the pandemic has identified the fault lines of telework (Chong, et. al, 2020). Some managers simply do not know how to manage the new management style that requires them to supervise and monitor employee performance remotely. These two cases have led to the thesis that employees are generally less motivated while teleworking.

This research will make contributions to improving teleworking and its management during the pandemic in several ways. Firstly, the paper will look at the methods and theories of motivation and how they apply in the current context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Secondly, the research will identify the effects of the pandemic on employees so as to understand the best approach to managing employees during the pandemic. After establishing these facts, the paper will finally draw a blueprint for remote managers that will equip them with the best management tools that they can apply with ease.

In this section, the paper is going to review employee motivation theories and how they are applicable in the context of teleworking during the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, the section will look at teleworking during the pandemic and the challenges that are faced in adopting it. This will enable the research to identify the problems that cause employees to be less motivated that lead to the ultimate research intended.

Theories of motivation were developed by scholars after studying human behaviors and reactions as drivers of their actions towards wanting to do something and how they do it (Lindsay & Neel, 2020). Several theories and models were developed, and most of them have been adopted and integrated by organizations models to ensure that employees remain with the constant urge to be productive at work. As a result, the organizations benefit by realizing their business goals and profits. In this section, the paper will analyze some of these different theories and models and how they have, (or have not) worked well for the teleworking employees during COVID-19.

Motivation theories are classified into two categories; content theories and process theories (Lindsay & Neel, 2020). Content theories are those that analyze one’s needs and the urge to satisfy them. Such theories include Maslow’s needs hierarchy, ERG theory, Herzberg’s two-factor theory, and McClelland's achievement motivation (De Vito, et al, 2020). The process theories focus on motivation as drivers of how people behave and they include; skinner’s reinforcement theory, Vroom’s expectancy theory, Locke's goal-setting theory, and Adam’s equity theory (Locke & Gary, 2019).

These are theories that suggest that human needs are the central motivators of human actions and behaviors.

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory is perhaps the most common motivation theory developed by psychologist Abraham Maslow in 1943 ***. The theory identifies the five hierarchies of human needs that motivate their behaviors. These needs, in chronological order, are physiological, safety needs, belongingness, and sense of love needs, esteem needs, and self-actualization needs (Suyono & Sri, 2017) According to this theory, a person moves from one level of need to another when the previous need is sufficiently satisfied. Sitting at the bottom of Maslow's hierarchy of needs are the Physiological needs which include basic requirements such as food, shelter, water, and clothing (De Vito, et al., 2018). To fulfill these needs, a human will make decisions that will incorporate their actions in satisfying these needs. Afterward, the individual will move to the next level of needs and so forth. Maslow believed that the intrinsic pressure for need satisfaction is the driver of motivation to act. However, he clarified that the hierarchy of needs does not need to be fully satisfied before one's motivation can move from one hierarchy to another (De Vito, et al., 2018).

Maslow further classified the needs into two categories; deficiency needs and growth needs (Suyono & Sri, 2017). Deficiency needs are the first four levels of needs on the triangle while the self-actualization needs, he classified as growth needs.

1.1.2 The ERG Theory

The ERG theory is an advancement of Maslow's theory by Psychologist Clayton Alderfer, who described physiological and safety needs as existence needs which include things like food, water, and safety (De Vito, et al., 2018). Needs for the sense of belonging, love, and self-esteem were classified as relatedness needs and include the need for family, relationships, and friends. Self-actualization is a Growth need that corresponds to one’s desires in life, for example completing college, or owning a house. According to Alderfer’s theory, these needs control the motivation a person has to behave in a certain manner, just as Maslow’s ideology. The theory suggests that humans are responsible for their actions and after the basic needs at the bottom of the hierarchy are fulfilled then the urge to fulfill the next hierarchy of needs arises until the person reaches the top of the hierarchy chart.

The concepts of this theory can be looked at in three scenarios. Firstly, the notion that satisfaction of one need leads to progression onto the next need (Lloyd & Daniel, 2018). This theory does not necessarily support that such a progression occurs purely after the satisfaction of the lower needs. The second scenario is when the frustration of fulfilling a higher need leads to regressing to lower needs as motivators (Lloyd & Daniel, 2018). Thirdly, when a need is fully satisfied, it can lead to strengthening lower needs instead of pursuing higher needs in the hierarchy.

1.1.3 The two-factor theory

The two-factor theory developed by Psychologist Fredrick Herzberg in 1959 suggests that motivation consists of a pair of adjustable factors that motivate or demotivate an employee in a workplace. These factors are the motivators and hygiene factors (De Vito, et al., 2018). For example, cash incentives and salary increments are motivators that employees use to drive productivity. Hygiene factors are those that affect the work environment of an employee and whose presence is not necessitated but its absence may reduce the motivation of an employee. Examples of hygiene factors include work policies, organizational structures, employee-employer relationships, and working hours’ flexibility. Overall, the two-factor theory suggests that an employee should be able to feel comfortable with their work and environment for them to be productive. A combination of the pair of motivational factors can appear in four different ways: High hygiene and high motivation, high hygiene and low motivation, low hygiene and high motivation, and low hygiene and low motivation (De Vito, et al., 2018). The most desirable combination of the two-factor theory is high hygiene and high motivation whereas the opposites of this pair are less desirable.

1.1.4 McClelland Achievement theory

McClelland's theory of needs also takes a different approach to explain the drivers of motivation. The theory includes the need for achievement, affiliation, and power as motivation drivers (Verma, 2017). The theory suggests that each individual has one of these three needs as contributing factors to the motivation behind their behaviors. For example, if someone has a hard time resting without solving a problem, they would work harder to find the answers as a result of the need for achievement. People driven by achievement needs are less dependent on teams, they thrive in single projects, and more often, in positive feedback from people (Verma, 2017). Those who are motivated by affiliation needs are team players and may not know what to do without the assistance of a team member. Lastly, individuals motivated by the need for power perform best in leadership positions. They are quick thinkers and decision-makers.

The process motivation theories focus on how humans behave as motivation.

1.2.0 Skinner’s Reinforcement theory

Skinner's reinforcement theory developed by B.F. Skinner in 1938 suggests that human behavior is a result of the behavior’s consequences (Bawa, 2017). The theory suggests that behavior can be controlled, hence shaping its outcome. There are three behavior controls that the theory suggests namely; reinforcement, punishment, and extinction. Reinforcement can either be positive or negative. Positive reinforcement is when the consequences of a behavior are increased to increase positive behavior (Bawa, 2017). An example of such is cash incentives for hitting a sales target example. This increase of consequence means that the way a person behaves is altered and controlled in such a manner that it will produce the desired results. Negative reinforcement on the other hand is the use of a negative factor to control the behavior that would lead to the consequences of falling victim to the negative reinforcement (Bawa, 2017). For example, a poorly performing sales team facing risks of elimination from work may decide to benchmark a cut-off performance point that is aimed at pushing the team to improve their sales or risk losing their jobs. The expected result is that the team will strive to perform better to avoid losing their jobs. However, it is argued that when the reinforcements are no longer existent, the behaviors may be reversed. It may not be a long-term solution because of the reliance on the two variables; reinforcement and behavior change.

Another behavior control suggested by Skinner's theory is the use of punishment to discourage or discontinue an undesirable behavior (Ho, et al., 2019). Unlike negative reinforcement, punishment enforces negative consequences on behavior to ensure the person does not risk doing the wrong thing. For example, an employer may punish an employee's carelessness in handling fragile products by imposing a cash penalty on the employee. Punishment is not a desirable method of motivation that shapes behavior. It may result in increased stress levels and work pressure.

Skinner's theory also suggests extinction as a means of controlling behavior. The extinction method of control aims at stopping a learned behavior that was encouraged as a temporary motivator (Ho, et al., 2019). The learned behavior is normally effective for some time that the outcome of the behavior is desirable. When the goal is attained, then the trained behavior may no longer be relevant, hence its extinction. A practical example of this theory is when someone partakes the role of another person at work in the absence of the rightful employee. They will need to learn their roles and duties and may involve extra money on their paycheck. Once the rightful employee returns to work, the temporary employee will need to discontinue their roles as they had learned them.

1.2.1 Vroom’s expectancy theory

Another process theory is Vroom's which sells the idea that choices made by a person are cognizant and are aimed at increasing pleasure while reducing pain (Lloyd & Danel, 2018). A person’s behavior is shaped by attributes like their personality, knowledge, experience, and skills. These attributes are the determinants of the effort and motivation an individual will put in performing a duty. In a nutshell, vroom’s theory uses three variables to explain the theory, namely; expectancy, instrumentality, and valence (Lloyd & Daniel, 2018). Expectancy is a positive projection of better results through increasing the efforts of achieving the results. It coins the phrase ‘practice makes perfect’ which translates to working harder to attain perfection and satisfactory results. Instrumentality related good performance to good outcomes. For example, performing well at a job may result in an employee's promotion. Valence places value on the outcome of action such that nothing else can deviate a person's motivation towards achieving their desired outcome.

1.2.2 Locke's Goal-Setting Theory

This theory basically suggests that goal setting is essential for good performance. When specific goals are set and followed, they become motivators that influence actions (Locke & Gary, 2019). Goal-setting theory aims to give direction and to enable an individual to calculate how much effort they need to put in their tasks. A good goal has to be clear, precise, achievable, and challenging. This theory also maps out two eventualities of its application: goal commitment and self-efficiency (Locke & Gary, 2019). A person has to be sure of their potential while setting goals to make them realistic and achievable. Secondly, they have to stay focused and committed to the goals they have set.

1.2.3 Adam’s Equity theory

Adam’s Equity theory sets base on the fairness of employee treatment and compensation and its impact on the outcome of their performances (Inuwa, 2017). The balance between these two variables is believed to determine how motivated an employee would be to work. The win-win scenario of the equity theory is happy and contended employee equals increased positive outcome. This theory does not depend on incentives such as money as motivation. Balancing the variables of this theory may be challenging because people perceive equity differently. The value for money as a reward tends to be the measure of equity among employees despite there being other advantages and rewards on offer. In the end, the theory values equity by comparing employees' packages with fellow employees and other companies’ packages for similar roles. The theory is not only reliant on the relation of input and output, but also on comparing the quotient of their ratios.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics has been tracking the effects of COVID-19 on employment situations in the United States. The unemployment rate stood at 6.7% translating to 10.7 million Americans being jobless (Household Survey Data, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2020). This figure is said to be double the unemployment statistics before the pandemic. In essence, business closures have rendered more people jobless, hence, an increase in financial constraints.

On a more personal level, a newly jobless person suffers more financial burdens. The population that still enjoys the benefit of having their jobs now have more mouths to feed and bills to pay. Some even have to operate with much lower pay than what they were earning pre-pandemic. About sixteen million Americans lost their jobs by December 2020 due to the pandemic and unproductive teleworking (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2020). Despite telework being the recommended way of operating businesses during the pandemic, management issues and unproductivity still haunts the process.

This data explains why there is little motivation to work remotely. The clear gap lies between the management of the employees during the pandemic and the impact of the pandemic on their motivation.

Teleworking is working from home using the internet and telephone to complete tasks and to communicate (International Labor Organization, 2020). Teleworking has become a common phenomenon during the pandemic as it eliminates face-to-face contact that is the primary means by which the virus spreads. It has come as an advantage for both companies and health providers. This practice also comes with its fair share of challenges such as management trust issues, low employee motivation, and reduced productivity (International Labor Organization, 2020). The COVID-19 pandemic has also affected people's lives on a personal level and the impact is seen in their outputs at work. Managers have to deal with extremely stressed, hopeless employees affected by the virus in one way or the other. Changing the style of leadership and management has been inevitable since the emotional turmoil people go through in such times is not easily manageable or avoidable.

Teleworking works best in conducive external environments, the right state of mind, and the right employees- situations that the pandemic has made it impossible to achieve (Chanana, 2020). The new task involves keeping employees motivated to work despite what they are going through, and traditional motivation styles may not easily apply to many organizations working remotely. The increasing need for safety and health as the priority has shifted motivation for work with some employees choosing to quit working so as to keep themselves and their loved ones safe (Chanana, 2020). COVID-19 has not only caused panic and pain among people but also made it hard for businesses to run smoothly through teleworking.

Baruch and Nicholson's framework explains the factors that affect teleworking. They include individual factors, environmental factors, organizational factors, nature of the job, and home and family factors (Belzunegui-Eraso, & Erro-Garcés 2020).

Working from home may make one feel more isolated and lonely (Groen, et al., 2018). Without the presence of office mates as a normal working environment would, some teleworkers find it difficult to concentrate on their duties from home. The presence of the pandemic has worsened the situation because of the health directives that require individuals to self-isolate when they have been exposed to the virus and to stay home to avoid contracting it. The closed environment may cause an increase in anxiety, depression, and other mental conditions that are encouraged by isolation. Some people get so frustrated to the extent of having suicidal thoughts (Groen, et al., 2018). While teleworking, communication should be key, such that employees continue to feel like they are in their natural work environments.

Another challenge is distractions from the home environment (Vasic, 2020). A home environment may not be as conducive as required to perform tasks that require quiet and sober environments. One of the biggest distractions is the presence of children who are hard to ignore while they are playing or require a parent's attention. Other distractions include the urge to relax and watch television, other duties such as cooking and cleaning, neighboring noises, and visitors (Groen, et al., 2018). Distractions affect an employee’s output and concentration while working. With the pandemic, most people are back in their houses hence homes are full of family members who make it harder to concentrate on tasks from work. Most people try to solve this problem by setting up home offices where they are separated from the rest of the family. Unfortunately, this only works for people who have extra rooms to spare. Another way is to make their working hours flexible enough such that they are able to work at night for example, when most people are asleep. However, this plan is not so flexible for most jobs and may also result in a lot of fatigue for the employee.

Poor focus and commitment to a work schedule is also a challenge (Vasic, 2020). In a normal work environment, employees are always geared up to start the day through encouragements via daily tasks meetings and motivations for example. The absence of such motivation can cause a person to lose focus on the goals they need to achieve on a daily basis. Productivity of an employee is relative to their level of focus which is built through goal setting and motivation (Vasic, 2020). To improve focus, managers should ensure that they frequently engage their employees via video conferencing for example and engage them in such a manner that they are involved in planning for their roles and expected outputs. That way, employees will remain focused on the goals set.

For the most part of working from home, team playing is affected due to the fact that individuals are not in the same working environment. Individuals who thrive best while working in teams may end up being less productive while teleworking (Van De Lippe & Lippenyi, 2020). Without proper communication and distribution of tasks, employees may fail to coordinate well while telecommuting. During the pandemic, some employees may have fallen ill, causing them to be secluded from working and their tasks given to other individuals. The pandemic has caused imbalances in workloads which frustrates more employees and management operations. It is difficult to solve these problems due to the fact that health concerns brought about by the pandemic may not be easily manageable.

Technical challenges including network instabilities and technical know-how skills such as fixing a software problem may pose challenges while teleworking (Vasic, 2020). Such services may be easily available in the office, whereas when someone is stuck with such a problem, they may be forced to outsource a service provider to fix it at a cost.

Despite 98% of businesses shifting to working online during the pandemic, the challenges that they provide cannot be ignored and need to be addressed so that the productivity levels of telecommuters remains at par with their goals.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a heavy impact on the business sector in the whole world. It goes without saying that the economic status of businesses have been affected badly, with many businesses closing shop permanently or temporarily and laying off workers (International Labor Organization, 2020). Employees, on the other hand, have had to deal with grief due to loss, health concerns, and fears, economic and financial problems among other uncertainties brought about by the pandemic. Those businesses that have kept afloat have altered how they handle their employees to keep them motivated. Teleworking has been the go-to strategy for ensuring that businesses continue to operate while keeping in check with the guidelines of curbing the spread of the virus. However, the workforce's behavior has been affected and the traditional methods of motivation as stipulated by the motivation theories may not be as effective as needed. With the state of uncertainty, panic, fear, social distancing, and health concerns, employees' motivations and priorities have shifted. Mental health issues too crop up in the list of factors that affect employee motivation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Looking at the content theories, their main focus is on needs as motivators that influence a human’s behavior. Now more than ever, people have a greater need for safety from the virus as a priority (Lindsay & Neel, 2020). Jobs that require a more hands-on approach have to secure the safety of their staff by providing all the necessary safety measures such as masks, sanitizers, and protective gear. Without the satisfaction of these safety needs, many employees may not feel motivated to continue working due to the health risks involved. On the other hand, economic instability has increased financial pressure on people struggling to provide for their basic needs due to pay-cuts and job losses (Linsay & Neel, 2020). An individual may be forced to look for other sources of income to supplement their deficiencies, a move that could probably reduce motivation for working for one company whose compensation is not sufficient enough to sustain an individual’s growing needs.

Maslow’s theory of motivation for example, states the five levels of needs that motivate and shape a person's behavior. It also believes that the needs are successive and after the basic needs have been satisfied, the urge to satisfy the next level of needs arises. The twist in the individual needs in during the pandemic and focus on safety and health needs dispute the phenomena of such a theory of motivation. It seems that every decision a person makes is surrounded by how best it satisfies and protects the safety needs of an individual. The same applies to the ERG theory that holds the same phenomenon as Maslow's theory. Current needs fall under the existing needs in the previous level of the hierarchy. Managers have ensured that safety needs for employees who work in the offices have been met since they have to keep up with the health guidelines provided. However, telecommuters may not be served the same kind of attention since they are working away from the office and their needs are different.

The process theories of motivation have their focus on human behavior, how to alter them so that they produce the desired outcome. The approach by these theories gives more control to the management such that they can shape the behaviors of their employees in order to increase their inputs and to achieve the company's ultimate output. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses have resorted to virtual management that has forced employees to work from home. Despite its effectiveness, some managers experience difficulties in trusting the input of their employees, monitoring their activities, and supervising them (Belzunegui-Eraso & Erro-Garcés 2020). Some managers took up teleworking management roles with little training on the same, making it difficult to catch up with the new trends. Employees also find themselves under too much pressure to deliver their best amidst the impact of the pandemic on their personal lives.

Process theories of motivation are hard to implement during the pandemic due to a number of uncontrollable factors. For example, an employee can find it difficult to maintain a certain work schedule because of the nature of their home working environment or their duty of taking care of a sick partner. They may log in late for work hence making the workflow turbulent. A manager who decides to use Skinner’s punishment method of motivation as a way of curbing the inconsistency in keeping work schedules may be considered as selfish.

Application of the motivation theories in teleworking now boils down to leadership and how managers keep their virtual teams motivated during the pandemic. Aside from the need focused theories, managers are tasked with understanding the uprising needs of their employees caused by the eventualities of the pandemic. There is a need to understand how best to handle virtual workers in order to keep them motivated, including going the extra mile to device means of motivating employees away from their normal working environment.

Managers have the chance of showing their best leadership during this pandemic (Chanana, 2020). One way of doing so is by identifying the means of properly motivating their staff while teleworking. It calls for them to be innovative, and to go out of their way so as to help their employees go through their struggles without despairing. Effective online leadership and management starts with proper communication (Contreras, et al., 2020). It is important that the communication becomes a two-way channel that allows interaction of the leader and follower rather than a one-way communication that most leaders tend to use while communicating electronically (Contreras, et al., 2020). Such leadership will open up the channels for employees to open up to their managers and enable them to understand how best they can keep them motivated. Instead of sticking to the old ways of motivation that include incentives for example, managers need to understand that such incentives may not be the primary need, or motivator of an employee.

On the other hand, teleworking tends to sharpen management skills more than leadership skills (Contreras, et al., 2020). Managers’ roles are clearer with teleworking because thy include roles such as budgeting, planning and administrative roles. However, leadership roles are less tangible and can only be felt and tested while leading remote teams. This means that things like employee motivation during the pandemic is a test for sharpening leadership skills. The best outcome is fed by proper communication and the ability to think out of the box when it comes to employee motivation.

The imposing of lockdown due to the pandemic suffocated a lot of businesses that were deemed to be non-essential. Even after lifting the lockdown bans, some countries failed to allow such businesses to continue to operate due to their nature of operations (hands-on businesses such as grooming services). Despite devising means of safer business operations, employee motivation particularly while working from home has been a challenge for managers. There are various reasons why this is the case and this paper intends to show the causes of low motivation among teleworking employees during the Covid-19 pandemic

The first challenge that managers have had to deal with is trust issues while supervising remote works. Without proper supervision mechanisms, employers have no way of ensuring that employees put in the expected efforts to achieve the desired results. As a result of this problem, the managers have failed to effectively play their part on motivating workers. The quest for tangible performance from teleworking employees causes managers to focus on result driven motivation skills, a method which, as this paper will discover, is not effective during the pandemic.

Managing virtual employees during the pandemic has proven to require more attention to restructured leadership and management styles that cater to the new needs of employees during such a crisis to keep them motivated (Contreras, et al., 2020). These needs may not have been captured within the traditional motivational theories that managers apply in their organizations. While most managers are trained to motivate their staff while applying the motivation theories at workplaces, this paper will put that approach to test.

The motivation theories also have a personal needs-driven motivation theory. For example, some theories suggest that if a person’s need is to have food security, then they will work as hard as they can to ensure that the said need is met. The theories also suggest that the needs are successive such that when one need is satisfied, the motivation changes to focus on a new need.

Conclusively, there are three main points that the literature does not observe. These points are:

· The management of employees working from home is not the same as management of employees working at the office.

· There is a significant shift in the needs of employees working from home, versus working in the office.

· It is essential to devise an effective means of motivating employees that incorporates their remote working needs, while enhancing managers’ leadership styles.

These three focal points make up the research questions for this study. The purpose of this study is to determine how the meeting points of teleworking or remote working, and its challenges, employee motivation, and effective virtual employee management and leadership collide to impact employee motivation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Comparing the methods of motivation as encouraged by the motivation theories discusses earlier in this paper and the shift of individual needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is conclusive that the theories may not be effective when applied single-handedly in the current working environment shaped by the effects of the pandemic. There are various changes in the approach of motivation that has to consider the state of mind of employees and their need for safety, security, and assurance. Teleworking as a tool may have also been a hot ball thrown at unprepared management teams who end up facing difficulties in remote management. The research sought to find solutions for better methods of motivating teleworking employees as supplements to the traditional motivation methods and to scheme methods that managers can deploy to ensure that teleworking becomes effective for productivity regardless of the nature of the business.

This paper collected primary data through interviews with managers applying teleworking during the COVID-19 pandemic and employees working remotely. This data aimed at establishing the challenges of teleworking as affected by the pandemic and its effects on the motivation of employees. Interviews with managers or supervisors targeted identifying the different mechanisms they have applied in running and leading remote workers, and how they ensure that their telecommuting is productive and successful. The interviews also sought to answer the questions of a shift of needs, how they affect human behavior and motivation. This shift is not captured by the content or process theories of motivation which have only viewed human behavior from the perspective of sequential need-driven motivation and behavior altered motivation.

The interviews included managers from private and public business sectors so as to establish how the safety rules of operation during the pandemic were applied in their fields. Also, the interviews took notice of the effects of the lockdown regulations on other businesses that were considered as non-essential during the pandemic and how various employees coped with the challenges. From the same view, essential businesses that have been operational during the pandemic had their own share of difficulties including being overwhelmed with pressure to work while ensuring safety, health risks, and mental stability.

The research also utilized secondary data from other studies of the same topic and concerns. They included businesses that have successfully applied the concept of teleworking during the pandemic, and how different managements are ensured that their employees stayed motivated. With relevant statistics, the research also analyzed the level of productivity of teleworkers, and the impact on management changes to suit the tension-filled environment that the pandemic has subjected businesses to.

The research was carried out in the United States of America, picking a sample population from both the government and private sectors. The US tops the charts of new infections standing at over twenty-two million and the number of deaths slightly below four hundred thousand cumulatively since the pandemic hit China (Belzunegui-Eraso & Erro-Garcés 2020). The participants of the study were randomly picked from various businesses under the sector they belonged to. Primary data was collected in form of interviews and surveys.

Secondary data was collected from statistical reports of the same, journals, blogs, and articles from trusted and researched sources. These statistics collected data that showed a number of businesses that have shifted their operations to telecommuting and how they have effectively done so. It also identifies the challenges faced in teleworking during the pandemic. Journals and articles on how different managers have improvised motivation methods to keep their businesses afloat have also been reviewed.

Since the pandemic and its effects are felt all over the country and the world, the sampling technique that is used here is random sampling. Covid-19 statistics show that the United States tops the list of number of infections of the virus standing at 23 million by January, 2021 (WHO Covid-19 dashboard). In the US, the Covid-19 has spread in all States without exception and daily infection cases per state on average of 1000 persons per one million population (WHO Covid-19 dashboard).

These statistics make the US a perfect place for conducting the study. This study believes that all populations face the impact of the pandemic equally, all populations have been forced to work remotely, and that all populations face the same challenges of COVID-19 and teleworking. Random sampling technique will pick participants of different genders, races, ages, and professions. It means each participant in the research had an equal chance of being picked for the exercise to ensure fairness of the data collection process.

Since the focus is on teleworking employees, the participants will also be narrowed down to data from companies that have their employees working remotely. The research also relied on secondary data from reliable sources such as government websites, research publications, and scholarly articles and journals.

The table below summarizes the questions and their motives towards collecting relevant data for this research:

Table 1

The sample group established the age, gender, and level of education of employees who took part in the study. These statistics were important to the study because they helped in establishing that the survey was conducted among the working class in the US. Their racial identity too was indicated for inclusivity of the study across all races. The questions asked during the survey were as explained in the table below:

Table 2

Data collected from the field are presented in form of charts, graphs and pie charts. This presentation will enable swift analysis of percentages and frequencies that the research intends to collect.

The main ethical issue during the study was carrying out the safety precautions advised by the center for Disease Control and Occupational Safety and Health Administration experts while conducting business during the pandemic. Observing these guidelines has caused businesses to reduce unnecessary appointments so as to reduce contact. They also subject individuals to a long process of screening and testing that may come at an extra cost.

Other requirements for conducting the research included legal approval for conducting the research especially amidst curfews and lockdown. Accessing premises were restricted to authorized persons only. It was necessary that legal procedures and safety measures be taken care of while conducting the research.

Three managers were interviewed, two from the government sector and one from a private healthcare consultancy. All three managers had a tertiary level of education with one holding a Ph.D. and subsequently holding the senior-most management position as senior advisor of the three interviewed managers. The other two held senior management and middle management positions. The senior advisor managed eight employees; the senior manager had thirty employees to manage while the middle manager had six employees under their supervision.

Both the middle and senior managers agreed that the pandemic had altered the effectiveness of their management with both clients and employees. The middle manager attributed the effectiveness of her management to the relationship built between the company and the employees before the pandemic. The senior manager stated that the business came to a halt due to the nature of their business being hands-on, hence being affected by the COVID-19 prevention and health guidelines issued. The senior manager however did not find any changes in the effectiveness of her management. From his point of view, she acknowledged the use of teleworking adaptive applications to facilitate virtual meetings through video calls and huddle check-ins. The other two managers used the same tools to create a virtual work environment where the employees would still enjoy office interactions through virtual happy hours, team parties, and celebrations as well as awarding best performers and organizing the order of business virtually. The senior advisor stuck to strict business as usual despite the changes in the business environment.

The middle and senior managers also took the initiative of motivating their employees. The senior manager acknowledged that his employees were facing difficult times, so he managed them with a little more compassion. The middle manager went a step ahead to create a virtual space where employees would share their struggles and encouraged them to know that the management cared about them. She also encouraged them to take necessary leave (time off) as needed. She however remained transparent about the company's top management decisions regarding an employee's performance or conduct while teleworking. On the other hand, the senior advisor made no changes to the traditional way of motivating their employees. All three managers agreed that employee motivation is a top concern for the companies and that their approach to virtual employee management experience during the pandemic was positive. The senior advisor aimed at rewarding good conduct and good performance. The senior manager felt like teleworking was meant to be since the company had employed the strategy before the pandemic. The pandemic only made a progression towards the plans and goals of the company. The middle manager is content that her team is happier and more productive despite the challenges they face during the pandemic.

Thirty teleworking employees between the ages of eighteen and seventy-four were interviewed (Figure 1), eleven men (37%) and twenty-nine women (63%) (Figure 2). All of the employees were educated from holders of high-school diplomas (7%), Bachelor's degrees (40%), Master's Degree (33%), and Ph.D.'s (13%) (Figure 3). The interviewees’ racial distribution was 40% whites, 37% Black Americans, 17% Hispanics, 7% American Indians, and 13% Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. (Figure 4)

Figure 1

From their responses, the three most common challenges the employees face during teleworking are;- Social Isolation, absence of physical workspace, and keeping a regular work schedule from home. (Figure 5) Other challenges of working from home included too many distractions; for example, the presence of children, other responsibilities such as providing care for sick relatives, and failure of access to necessary work tools. Despite these difficulties, the employees feel that they can effectively improve teleworking by improving some aspects of management such as better communication and motivation from their managers. The results showed that 37% of employees describe teleworking as being difficult compared to their normal ways of performing their roles at work. 27% of them do not know whether teleworking is easier or harder. This leaves only 7% of the interviewees fully comfortable with teleworking. (Figure 6)

The majority of the employees felt less motivated to work and had contemplated quitting their jobs at least once a month (63%). (Figure 7) This statistic aligns with the high numbers of employees who reported lower job satisfaction since the onset of COVID-19 and teleworking (63%). In general, the employees felt less satisfied with teleworking, its management, poor communication, and uncertainty about their job security.

Another important aspect to note with the results of the survey is that employees working from home have caretaking responsibilities. 63% of the respondents had caretaking responsibilities of children and adults. Self- isolation during the pandemic requires that those individuals that have been exposed to the virus and are not in a critical condition take care of themselves from home with the help of nurses and family (Vasic, 2020). Easing pressure on overwhelmed health workers has transferred the same pressure onto less experienced family members who also have other duties to perform.

The U.S bureau of labor statistics indicated that forty-five percent of occupations in the United States are telework viable (International Labor Organization, 2020). However, before the pandemic, only a few of these occupations utilized teleworking opportunities with some of them only partially adopting the practice. COVID-19 however has spiked up the rates at which occupations are shifting their businesses online. The results project that the take-up rates will continue to rise even after the pandemic.

From the primary data collected in this research, it is clear that there is a disconnection between the managers and employees in effectively using teleworking tools to continue their business operations amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. In as much as teleworking has proven to be the most efficient tool used in conducting business, managers and employees still struggle with how to stay motivated.

A guide on teleworking during the pandemic by the International Labor Organization (2020) agrees that employees' wellbeing is a factor to consider while managing teleworkers during the pandemic. Teleworkers have shared their difficult experiences in working from home during the pandemic wishing that their management would consider caring about what they go through. In essence, it means that employees working from home need to be motivated for them to be productive. Some employees for example have had to take care of a sick family member quarantining at home while working at the same time. An article for the blog published in 2020 suggests that employees are more concerned about how their employers will cater to their safety needs while resuming work (Namely, 2020). The concern suggests that the motivation to work will depend on how well employers cater to this growing need of their employees. Since the motivation theories that have been traditionally used to motivate employees may not sufficiently satisfy these employees, employers are tasked with the duty of formulating other means of motivating their employees.

The interviews with the managers also brought forth the concern of how to motivate employees while working from home. Managers need to understand that needs and concerns of employees have shifted, hence, there is their shift in motivation. Sticking to the old fashion of motivation techniques may not be effectively applied during the pandemic. It is vital that managers must devise means of incorporating new ways of motivating employees during this crisis, some of which are empathy management, effective communication, and training among others (CoAdvantage, 2020).

The results found in this study have proven the fact that employees many employees are less motivated due to the effects of COVID-19 and telework. Factors that have affected the efficiency of teleworking during the COVID-19 pandemic are as follows:

Employees are overall worried about the impact of COVID-19 to their personal lives.

This is the main problem that contributes to the uncertainty, lack of motivation, and poor productivity. Despite working remotely, employees are affected by their personal worries that distract them from fully concentrating and being productive while working at home. Some of this anxiety can be blamed on misinformation about COVID-19 that circulate the media (Vasic, 2020). Getting the right information about the virus may help reduce anxiety levels of employees.

COVID-19 has also shaken businesses such that owners do not know what to do with their employees as some are unsure about the future of the business. The increased levels of worry make employees less motivated to continue working or striving for a company that has no clear future.

Poor communication between managers and teleworking employees.

An article on the Harvard Business Review suggested that managers fail to trust their remote employees because of the challenges of supervising their work away from the normal workplace (Sharon, et al., 2020). The article blames the problem on the lack of proper training of the managers in handling employee management during a crisis such as the pandemic. This research has proved the same by showing the low communication frequencies between the company and the employees. In a normal working environment, communication is a daily activity that is used one hundred percent of the time on a daily basis. When the frequency reduces to less than half of the time, some employees may fail to commit to work especially without being supervised. Poor communication gives room for idleness, worry in case of the pandemic crisis that result to lower motivation levels.

Another way of communicating with the companies is through the support that they offer to their employees. Despite the companies’ offer of support, 53% of the employees declared that the support was not enough. It is not expected that companies make the same amount of revenue during the crisis as they do on normal working days. However, support may not only include money, incentive or compensation. In this case, the emotional concern that companies show their employees matters too.

Effects of the pandemic on the mental stability of employees and their working environment.

With the high death tolls and the number of infections caused by the pandemic, many people find themselves in an emotional turmoil that destabilizes their mental states (University of Pittsburgh, 2020). A mentally unstable employee is not capable of giving the desired output at work. The home environment is also not as conducive as the workplace due to the distractions at home, other responsibilities, and health concerns that disorganize a person's ability to concentrate on their work.

The research has shown the high levels of worry brought about by the pandemic and the load of responsibility that has piled on employees during the pandemic. Responsibilities such as taking care of children and the elderly while at home can take a toll on the mental health of a person working remotely. It may be too much to handle especially when only a few members of a large family are the breadwinners. Some of them get overwhelmed with work causing them to lose focus and motivation.

The shift in needs has resulted in a shift of motivators.

Primarily, everyone is concerned about their safety and health during the pandemic (Sharon, et al., 2020). This has resulted in changes in individual behaviors to ensure that people are not infected with the virus. In the same way, individuals would not want to put themselves at risk of contracting the virus while at work.

The research has shown that over fifty percent of employees were not satisfied with the support they got form their employers. This translates to the fact that the support is not only insufficient but also the needs of the employees are not same as those before the pandemic. The need to be safer, closer to family and loved ones is greater than that of monetary compensations and incentives.

The counter-production effect of teleworking and caregiving responsibilities

Despite challenges in teleworking, the high percentage of employees who claim that teleworking is effective is encouraging. The main problem that drains the efforts of productive and effective teleworking is the caretaking responsibilities alongside work while working from home. The pandemic here is to blame for this unavoidable circumstance. However, reports project that the future of business focuses on improving teleworking. Other reports also show that some employees have increased productivity by thirteen percent while teleworking (International Labor Organization, 2020). It means that had it not been for the pandemic and the challenges it serves; teleworking would be the most effective way of improving production of companies.

The probable solutions to the problems identified throughout this research paper are as follows:

The backbone of any company is its labor force. A well-motivated labor force is capable of enabling a company to achieve its set goals. Engaging employees through communications and showing concern during hard times makes an employee contended with their job. Virtual business management has reduced the face-to-face office interactions which are associated with normal working environments (Chanana, 2020). Some employees who perform better working in teams, for example, have a difficult time adjusting to working alone at home. This research has also identified poor communication between management and employees as among co-workers as factors that reduce employee motivation.

Chanana describes employee engagement as the "psychological and physical existence of executing an organizational role" (Chanana, 2020). The psychological need for employees working during the pandemic is safety. In as much as teleworking reduces the risks of contracting and spreading the virus, the impact of the pandemic calls for serious improvements of communication in teleworking. Employees still need to feel that their input matters to the company and that the company cares for them. A conducive work environment is one that allows employees to freely express themselves since their emotional wellness directly impacts their productivity.

Statistics show that most occupations in the United States are flexible enough to accommodate telecommuting. However, only a small percentage of companies embrace teleworking, not until the forceful push toward online operations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The main challenges in adopting the new style of management are inadequate training of staff on how to effectively execute their roles while working remotely. Managers have faced problems with monitoring employee inputs and performances due to having been used to the traditional ways of employee management.

The study has pinpointed a few communication gaps in telework. A good number of employees feel frustrated by the insufficient colleague to colleague communications. Most people make family and friends out of workmates and such difficult times as the pandemic call for extraordinary support from them so as to control emotional breakdowns that affect performance. The use of emails for example, cannot reveal the emotions or the tone of the reader or the sender of the email (Baba, 2020). As a result, employees become trapped in their own problems without the channels to open up to management that they need help. When they perform poorly, they instead receive harsh penalties that may include losing their jobs.

Businesses too have suffered the same financial fate as individuals. Most businesses struggle to make money during the pandemic especially those that were banned from operating during the lockdowns. Statistics of labor reports show that a lot of businesses closed shop due to lack of finances to sustain them during the pandemic forcing a lot of citizens to lose their jobs (University of Pittsburgh, 2020). This research shows that employees are facing job uncertainties while other employees are not confident enough with the decisions made by their managers. By being transparent with the employees about the frustrations business are facing during the pandemic, employees are able to contribute constructive ideas to ensure that the business does not stumble. On the other hand, it encourages teamwork and commitment which increases motivation.

Prioritizing mental health during the pandemic is crucial (Chanana, 2020) Some of the ways of showing concern for employees and their safety is by checking on them, providing support systems beyond the work environment, sharing wellness strategies that enable employees to stay focused while working remotely and keeping in contact with them through communication channels such as face timing (University of Pittsburg, 2020). Normalizing teleworking is also an important strategy that will help the workforce adjust to the new normal. Looking at telecommuting from that perspective will help people make decisions that motivate them to accommodate remote working and not be too reliant of office environment.

During difficult times, managers should be equipped with the ability to read the emotions of an individual without them necessarily sharing what they feel (Baba, 2020) An empathetic manager is easily approachable and can form a bond with their employees giving them a sense of security and motivation. Managers need to put more effort into understanding their employees’ emotions especially those working remotely so that they know that the company is more interested in them as individuals and not laborers (Chanana, 2020). This is the best way to express steward leadership- showing compassion for employees during hard times.

As a way of enabling remote workers to develop routine and keep a regular work schedule, organizations can arrange and program their work schedules such that they cooperate with individual programs and responsibilities while working remotely. Workplace flexibility and teleworking is the future of business operations; therefore management should take advantage of the business operation situation caused by the pandemic to adjust into the future expectations (University of Pittsburgh, 2020). Flexibility of work will reduce the pressure put on employees amidst other problems that they could be facing on personal levels.

This study showed that a good percentage of employees felt less motivated while working remotely with a higher percentage contemplating on quitting their jobs. The research also identified that some managers expected employees continue performing as expected in workplaces while working from home. General drop in motivation was caused by shift in need, hence shift of motivators. Managers who fail to grasp the new idea of shifted needs and motivators may not understand how best to manage remote workers. Away from monetary rewards, employees are concerned about wellness and safety as priority and companies that are able to provide that automatically win the loyalty and commitment of their employees.

Many companies tended to shelve their plans because of the pandemic, brewing job uncertainty among their employees that resulted to anxiety coupled up with the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. The importance of planning ahead for the company is to give focus to the workforce and encourage motivation among employees to strive to achieve their set goals (University of Pittsburgh, 2020). It also draws away attention from negative impacts of the pandemic and assures employees that there is always a way around a problem. Poor planning largely contributes to lack of motivation and trust issues from both management and employees. A good plan revives the spirit of the company’s employees towards committing to goal achievements.

The purpose of this study was to prove that employees are less motivated due to the effects of COVID-19 and telework. The COVID-19 pandemic caused lockdowns that significantly affected businesses and individuals. The health concerns, death and anxiety that the pandemic brought has greatly impacted human behavior, mental stability and their motivation and general view of life. This instability is directly reflected in the output of employees in businesses that have chosen to work remotely. Teleworking, also referred to as telecommuting, is the preferred strategy that businesses have adopted in order to continue with their business operations amidst the pandemic while reducing direct contact among people.

Teleworking has however come with its own fair share of challenges. Only 20 percent of companies that had jobs that are telework feasible had adopted the idea before the pandemic. The percentage shot up to 98% after the pandemic (International Labor Organization, 2020). This sudden rise was inevitable, unfortunately, a good percentage of these companies were not well equipped with adequate training on the effective application of teleworking. The outcome of some companies was low employee motivation, poor employee management and mistrust.

The pandemic also shifted the priorities of general public, with the main focus on safety especially in workplaces (Belzunegui-Eraso & Erro-Garcés 2020). This shift of needs meant that employers had to devise a means of handling employee interests during the pandemic.

This research paper focused on collecting data on the three factors. Firstly, the paper analyzed the theories of motivation and their applicability in the scenario of the pandemic. In doing so, the paper aimed at establishing the practical application of the motivation theories in teleworking as a way of motivating employees (Bawa, 2020). Both Content and Process theories were analyzed. The paper also analyzed teleworking with major reference to statistics of businesses that have adopted the method during the pandemic. After identifying the problems faced by teleworkers during the pandemic and their effects on employee motivation, the paper aligned the probable solutions of applying traditional methods of employee motivation. The incompatibility of the problems and the known solutions made it evident that managers had to be tasked with defining new ways of motivating the employees, hence leading to the research.

The research collected data from randomly sampled managers and employees, and reliable statistics. The paper established other effective methods that employees can adopt in order to keep their employees motivated during the pandemic while teleworking. Their contributions helped in highlighting their personal experiences and struggles during the pandemic and what they hope would change in order to make the application of telework more effective.

Key take home points from the study included the following:

Teleworking is the future of business. The increase in numbers of companies that have taken up the practice encourages its growth and projects that teleworking will go on even longer after the pandemic. Most employees believe that teleworking can be effective if management engages with employees more. Despite the anxieties and other challenges that the pandemic has brought, it may have just introduced businesses to the new and futuristic way of conducting business.

Employee mental wellness is a need that managers need to take notice of during the pandemic. Working remotely can be frustrating in very many different ways causing employees to have mental breakdowns. For the sake of productivity, managers and leaders have to address the mental health issues of their remote workers.

Employee motivation is a key ingredient in success of a company. It is therefore necessary that managers understand employee needs so as to devise better means of employee motivation. The changes and evolution of needs make it necessary that management and leadership also evolve their methods of employee motivation.

Effective teleworking includes training on the same. The pandemic highlighted the deficiencies in telework skills for both management and employees, causing businesses to close shop in some instances. As research projects, teleworking will continue even after the pandemic, it is worth investing in, as it pertains to training of staff and acquiring equipment such as computers and networks.

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How COVID-19Will Affect Worker Productivity

Description: Pie charts and Graphs showing the data collected form the research

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Remaining Data collected from the research

Exhibit 1

Exhibit 2

Exhibit 3

Exhibit 4

Exhibit 5

Exhibit 6

Exhibit 7

Exhibit 8

Age

18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 0.13333333333333333 0.16666666666666666 0.16666666666666666 0.23333333333333334 0.16666666666666666 0.1

Gender

Male Female 0.36666666666666664 0.6333333333333333

Education Level

High School Bachelors Degree Masters Degree PhD/MD 6.6666666666666666E-2 0.4 0.33333333333333331 0.13333333333333333

Race

African American/Black White Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0.36666666666666664 0.4 0.16666666666666666 6.6666666666666666E-2 0.13333333333333333

Top 3 Challenges While Working Remotely Social Isolation Physical Workspace Keeping a Regular Schedule 0.56666666666666665 0.5 0.46666666666666667

Working Effectively during COVID-19

Very Easy Somewhat Easy Neither Easy or Difficult Somewhat Difficult Very Difficult 6.6666666666666666E-2 0.1 0.26666666666666666 0.36666666666666664 0.2

How often do you consider leaving your job since COVID-19?

How often do you consider leaving your job?

Once a month Once a week Less often than that 0.6333333333333333 0.23333333333333334 0.13333333333333333

Job Satsifaction changed since COVID-19?

I have the same job satisfaction than prior to the pandemic I have lower job satisfaction than prior to the pandemic 0.36666666666666664 0.6333333333333333

Age

18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 0.13333333333333333 0.16666666666666666 0.16666666666666666 0.23333333333333334 0.16666666666666666 0.1

Gender

Male Female 0.36666666666666664 0.6333333333333333

Education Level

High School Bachelors Degree Masters Degree PhD/MD 6.6666666666666666E-2 0.4 0.33333333333333331 0.13333333333333333

Race

African American/Black White Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0.36666666666666664 0.4 0.16666666666666666 6.6666666666666666E-2 0.13333333333333333

Top 3 Challenges While Working Remotely Social Isolation Physical Workspace Keeping a Regular Schedule 0.56666666666666665 0.5 0.46666666666666667

Working Effectively during COVID-19

Very Easy Somewhat Easy Neither Easy or Difficult Somewhat Difficult Very Difficult 6.6666666666666666E-2 0.1 0.26666666666666666 0.36666666666666664 0.2

How often do you consider leaving your job since COVID-19?

How often do you consider leaving your job?

Once a month Once a week Less often than that 0.6333333333333333 0.23333333333333334 0.13333333333333333

Job Satsifaction changed since COVID-19?

I have the same job satisfaction than prior to the pandemic I have lower job satisfaction than prior to the pandemic 0.36666666666666664 0.6333333333333333

Impact of COVID-19 on my Company

Organizational Impact of COVID-19

Very Worried Somewhat Worried Not So Worried 0.33333333333333331 0.6333333333333333 3.3333333333333333E-2

Impact of COVID-19 on my Personal Life

Personal Impact of COVID-19

Very Worried Extremely Worried Somewhat Worried Not So Worried 0.26666666666666666 0.13333333333333333 0.46666666666666667 0.13333333333333333

Individuals with Caretaking Responsibilities

Yes No 0.36666666666666664 0.6333333333333333

Who are you providing care for?

Children under 5 yrs old Children 5-12 yrs old Children 13-18 yrs old 0.13333333333333333 0.26666666666666666 0.1

Caretaking Responsibilities and Difficulty with work Responsibilities

Yes, Substantially More Difficult Yes, Somewhat Difficult 0.63636363636363635 0.36363636363636365

How often does your company communicate during COVID-19?

Few times a week Once a week Less often than that 0.33333333333333331 0.33333333333333331 0.3

Employee Motivation from Company's Communications

Very Motivated Somewhat Motivated Not so Motivated 0.1 0.4 0.23333333333333334

Support/Resources offered by your Company

I have received some support but not enough I have received the support I need 0.53333333333333333 0.43333333333333335