Economic, environmental, and social sustainability in scheduled hybrid office work

Abstract

We investigated effects on economic (cost savings), environmental (CO2 emission), and social sustainability (factors reflecting a positive psychosocial environment at work) of a 6-mo intervention from November 2021 through April 2022, during which employees were offered scheduled telework in a municipality in Sweden. Economic and environmental sustainability were estimated by the municipality whereas social sustainability was assessed by the researchers. Using analysis of covariance, we examined outcomes in 3 groups, ie scheduled teleworkers (n = 36), non-scheduled teleworkers (n = 55), and office workers (n = 11). The results indicated that scheduled telework resulted in reduced costs since unutilized premises could be disposed, and less CO2 emission due to a combination of reduced commuting time, lower energy use, and less need to construct new buildings. However, the 3 groups did not differ significantly regarding social sustainability. The results support the notion that telework can lead to positive outcomes in terms of decreased premises costs and environmental footprint, without deteriorating social sustainability.