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Juggling during Lockdown: Balancing Telework and Family Life in Pandemic Times and Its Perceived Consequences for the Health and Wellbeing of Working Women

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  • Mariana Loezar-Hernández

    (Department of Nursing and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Nursing and Physiotherapy, University of Lleida, 25008 Lleida, Spain
    Consolidated Research Group Society, Health, Education and Culture (GESEC), University of Lleida, 25008 Lleida, Spain
    Research Group of Health Care (GRECS), Biomedical Research Institute (IRB), 25003 Lleida, Spain)

  • Erica Briones-Vozmediano

    (Department of Nursing and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Nursing and Physiotherapy, University of Lleida, 25008 Lleida, Spain
    Consolidated Research Group Society, Health, Education and Culture (GESEC), University of Lleida, 25008 Lleida, Spain
    Research Group of Health Care (GRECS), Biomedical Research Institute (IRB), 25003 Lleida, Spain)

  • Elena Ronda-Pérez

    (Department of Community Nursing, Preventive Medicine, Public Health and History of Science, University of Alicante, 03690 Alicante, Spain
    Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP-ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain)

  • Laura Otero-García

    (Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP-ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
    Department of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted work-family balance due to lockdown measures. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of working mothers in Spain and the consequences of trying to balance work and family for their health and wellbeing. We conducted a qualitative study based on 18 semi-structured interviews with mothers of children under 10. Five themes were identified: (1) Telework—characteristics and challenges of a new labor scenario; (2) Survival and chaos—inability to work, look after children, and manage a household at the same time; (3) Is co-responsibility a matter of luck?—challenges when sharing housework during lockdown; (4) Breakdown of the care and social support system; and (5) decline in health of women trying to balance work and family life. Mothers who had to balance telework against family life suffered physical, mental, and social effects, such as anxiety, stress, sleep deprivation, and relationship problems. This study suggests that, in situations of crisis, gender inequality increases in the household, and women tend to shift back to traditional gendered roles. Governments and employers should be made aware of this, and public policies should be implemented to facilitate work-family reconciliation and co-responsibility within couples

Suggested Citation

  • Mariana Loezar-Hernández & Erica Briones-Vozmediano & Elena Ronda-Pérez & Laura Otero-García, 2023. "Juggling during Lockdown: Balancing Telework and Family Life in Pandemic Times and Its Perceived Consequences for the Health and Wellbeing of Working Women," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(6), pages 1-17, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:6:p:4781-:d:1091460
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Judith Derndorfer & Franziska Disslbacher & Vanessa Lechinger & Katharina Mader & Eva Six, 2021. "Home, sweet home? The impact of working from home on the division of unpaid work during the COVID-19 lockdown," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(11), pages 1-26, November.
    2. Sevgi Çoban, 2022. "Gender and telework: Work and family experiences of teleworking professional, middle‐class, married women with children during the Covid‐19 pandemic in Turkey," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(1), pages 241-255, January.
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    4. Lee, Shawna J. & Ward, Kaitlin P. & Chang, Olivia D. & Downing, Kasey M., 2021. "Parenting activities and the transition to home-based education during the COVID-19 pandemic," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    5. Iduzki Soubelet-Fagoaga & Maitane Arnoso-Martínez & Itziar Guerendiain-Gabás & Edurne Martínez-Moreno & Garbiñe Ortiz, 2021. "(Tele)Work and Care during Lockdown: Labour and Socio-Familial Restructuring in Times of COVID-19," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-19, November.
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