New Study Finds That Telecommuting Takes a Larger a Toll on Working Women Than on Working Men

A new working paper by led by scholars at Yale University finds that the major switch to telecommuting as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic is harder on women than it is on men.

The study determined that telecommuting moms spend significantly more time performing housework when they work from home than dads do. Moms working remotely also spend more time doing their jobs with children present than telecommuting dads, according to the study.

The study also found that moms working remotely during the pandemic are more likely to report feeling depressed, anxious, and lonely than telecommuting dads. It showed no gender gaps in anxiety levels among parents who are commuting to workplaces during the crisis.

“Evidence shows that women are disproportionately losing their jobs during the pandemic, but even when they retain employment and have the option to work from home, our research suggests that they are suffering emotionally more than men,” said Emma Zang, assistant professor of sociology in Yale’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and a co-author of the study. “Women across employment situations are doing worse than men in the present circumstances. This disparity could increase as telecommuting becomes more entrenched as a result of the pandemic.”

Dr. Zang earned a master’s degree in social science at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. She earned a second master’s degree in economics and a Ph.D. in public policy from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.

The paper, “Gender Differences in Telecommuting and Implications for Inequality at Home and Work,” may be accessed here.