Working-from-home experiences and well-being of older workers in the public sector: an agency theory perspective

Purpose Explore working-from-home experiences and well-being of older workers in the public sector using an agency theory lens. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative research design involving semi-structured group interviews with 40 older workers (aged 50+) in the Australian public sector. Data was collected between December 2021 and June 2022, during the post-emergency phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings Older workers' working-from-home experiences differ in three salient domains: exercising discretion over time and place to achieve work-life balance and manage health conditions; enhanced choice to remain active in the workforce beyond conventional retirement age; and constrained agency regarding location, leading to loneliness and diminished relationship quality. Agency was the differentiating factor between positive and negative experiences, mediating impacts on both hedonic (daily happiness and satisfaction) and eudaimonic (sense of purpose and meaningful relationships) well-being. Multi-level contextual conditions at macro, meso and micro levels determine older workers' ability to exercise agency when working-from-home. Practical implications Offering older workers work-from-home flexibility alone is insufficient for enhancing well-being; it requires the cultivation of a sense of agency, and the opportunity to leverage that agency to determine work arrangements that fit their individual circumstances. Originality/value Among the first qualitative studies within a public sector context examining the intersection of working-from-home, older workers and well-being through an agency theory lens. We offer a more nuanced understanding of multi-level (macro, meso, micro) conditions shaping older workers' agency and consequent well-being outcomes.