Segmentation Study of Filipino Government Workers on Telecommuting Impacts during the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study draws on insights from segmentation studies on telecommuting across various industries – including some within the government sector – to understand how telecommuting has affected Filipino government workers' tasks, personal lives, and environments. Segmentation categorizes employees into distinct groups based on shared characteristics – supporting improved resource allocation, performance planning, and strategic decisions. However, segmentation is rarely practiced in the public sector due to its bureaucratic structure and perceived homogeneity of employees. During the COVID-19 pandemic, telecommuting – a work arrangement that allows employees to work outside of a traditional office setting using information and communication technology (ICT) – became mandatory in the Philippines. A total of 16,159 government employees participated in a national online survey, sharing their telecommuting experiences. In particular, a hierarchical cluster analysis with Ward Linkage effectively put similar factors together, making a "break" at a three-cluster solution. Using k-means, a non-hierarchical clustering method, three groups based on perceived telecommuting impacts were identified. The advocates (mga tagatangkilik ng telecommuting), the largest group, recognized the benefits of telecommuting and supported its continued use beyond the pandemic. The reluctants (mga balila sa telecommuting), the second largest group, expressed doubts about embracing telecommuting due to negative experiences, which contributes to their hesitancy around continuing remote work. The critics (mga kritiko ng telecommuting), who had extreme telecommuting experiences, surprisingly still expressed preference for telecommuting post-pandemic. This study provides insights into varied experiences and shows potential for understanding the Filipino government workforce. The findings will be beneficial to the Civil Service Commission and other agencies in formulating responsive policies on career planning, diversity tracking, performance evaluation, and conflict resolution. Ultimately, this work supports the possibility of telecommuting as a standard work option for the public sector in the post-pandemic landscape.