How do working conditions change for in-person versus digital work? The case of schoolteachers

Abstract Background Telework has significantly increased in Europe and internationally in the aftermath of COVID-19 lockdowns, with estimates of 22% of Europeans now doing some form of telework. However, it is unclear how working conditions for the same job differ when work is conducted in-person versus digitally, and if occupational health risks can be considered as equal across formats. Our study addressed the profession of school teaching to examine online working conditions versus those for in-person teaching. Methods To allow for close consideration of employment contexts, a qualitative study was conducted. Focus groups and interviews took place in 2023-24 with 45 teachers and tutors who teach from kindergarten to secondary grades across Canada. Results We found that online teaching added to emotional labour of teaching work and involved new occupational exposures. These included challenges with engaging students via cameras and microphones, digital surveillance of teachers by parents and students, unwanted exposure to students’ intimate home lives, and technostress. Conclusions The work of being an online teacher was very different than teaching in-person, yet there has been slow recognition of working condition differences for understanding of OHS exposures and for collective agreements. Key messages • In the context of a significant expansion of telework, assumptions cannot be made that the job conditions and exposures are the same job when performed in-person or at-home. • These differences will need to be recognized in job agreements and occupational risk assessments.