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How Asian Sandwich Generation

Managing Stress in Telecommuting
during Covid-19 Pandemic
iJSRED Journal, Setyo Riyanto

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International Journal of Scientific Research and Engineering Development-– Volume 3 Issue 3, May – June 2020
Available at www.ijsred.com
RESEARCH ARTICLE OPEN ACCESS

How Asian Sandwich Generation Managing Stress in

Telecommuting during Covid-19 Pandemic
Septian Sugestyo Putro*, Setyo Riyanto**
*(Master of Management Student, UniversitasMercuBuana, Jakarta, Indonesia
Email: [email protected])
** (Associate Professor, UniversitasMercuBuana, Jakarta, Indonesia
Email:[email protected])

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Abstract:
It has been almost a half year since the first Covid-19 outbreak in Asia and people now getting used to
how their government applying lockdown and social distancing for their citizens. The pandemic has
forcing white collars to work from as the government restricts any activity involving a massive number of
people to gather at the same place. In the meantime, the educational organization also closing their school
and universities to prevent the virus from widespread. Telecommuting, popular term to describe work
from home activity, is now a system that has been applied in majority organizations in Asia that has
become a new norm. Most research examine the effectiveness and impact of telecommuting to
organizational performance, but rarely examine the struggle white collars must face behind
telecommuting. This research is the continuation of existing research examined the stress impact of work
from home during the pandemic; intended to review how Asian sandwich generation managing stress from
telecommuting. With literature review methodology, the research then supported by virtual face-to-face
interviews with 32 sandwich generation couples actively working as white scholars in one of the most
crowded capital cities in Asia. From both methodologies perspective, the research results leading to the
importance of setting boundaries between telecommuting and home life.

Keywords —Covid-19, stress, telecommuting, work from home, pandemic, sandwich generation

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social distancing program to prevent the infection
I. INTRODUCTION
widespread including in Jakarta, Indonesia. Formal
Since the first known outbreak identified in regulations then released for the government to
Wuhan in December 2019 (Wang et al, 2020), have legal standing to terminate any non-essential
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) has been business activity in the city. The pandemic has
spread out massively to another 215 countries forcing white collars to work from home as their
causing 310,391 deceased as per May 18th, 2020 organization has to obey the government to restrict
(covid19.go.id). Considering the virus has high any activity involving a massive number of people
infectiousness ability (Alimohamadi et al, 2020), to gather at the same place.
governments in Asian countries decided to initiate a

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International Journal of Scientific Research and Engineering Development-– Volume 3 Issue 3, May – June 2020
Available at www.ijsred.com
The regulations released by the government not II. METHODOLOGY
only affecting non-essential business activity, but This research utilizes qualitative methodology
also instruct all educational organizations and such as literature review and face-to-face interviews
shopping centers to be closed in objective to keep with 32 sandwich generation subjects.
social distancing program effective in preventing
A. Literature Review
infection widespread. To keep the education
progress on track based on the curriculum, all the 1) Telecommuting, a way to work from home
activity in schools, colleges, and universities Telework or telecommuting, defined as any
transformed into online class learning at home, activity that occurs when an employee is paid to
virtually monitored by the lecturers. With the work at any other location than the workplace
students and their white collars parents moving (Mariani, 2000). In this digitalized era,
their activities from school and offices to their telecommuting proceeds in the form of electronic
home, the parents are facing a new problematic outworking involving any mobile devices to
dilemma in which they must maintain work and process mobile work while carried out to other
home life with no clear boundaries. Recent research places than the central office (Tremblay, 2002).
has evaluated that work from home has been more From managers' point of view, Telecommuting also
stressful in the objective of balancing work-home comes as a transition from direct supervision to
life activities than what the parents have regularly remote managing, from face-to-face communication
before the pandemic (Septian&Setyo, 2020). to virtual meeting, from offsite working to outside
Most psychology and human resource research working, with all telecommunication connected via
focused in finding out how office workers phone or virtual internet-based media (Bailey,
attempting to have work-life balance in regular 1999). From these definitions, the terms work from
daily basis, while others focused on evaluating how home can be described as telecommuting or
occasional work from home can improve work-life telework, as employee bring their work and
balance, as work-life-balance and flexible working continue to process it at home. The term
hours are two most factors that can increase telecommuting in this paper will not scope any
employee engagement (Setyo&Lukertina, 2019; home-based telecommuting which refers to regular
Setiyani&Setyo, 2019). Covid-19 pandemic brings basis work at home (Bailey, 1999) as these are not
up different conditions to surface for both work any white collars do on a daily basis and not
from home and work-life balance, as it moved from relevant in how white collars managing stress.
occasionally to regularly, following the social Telecommuting is a relatively still new way of
distancing period. This paper intends to dig into working desired by many professional workers, and
Asian white collars' perspective in their attempt to getting permission in doing telecommuting will
manage stress while living in shady boundaries require high trust from their manager (Kossek et al,
between work from home and home-life activity in 2006). On a regular daily basis, Harpaz (2002),
one place. Works of literature from previously Khalifa and Davison (2000) conclude that
published research were reviewed and supported by telecommuting invites interesting benefits for both
interviews with white collars sandwich generation organization and employee. Organizations can have
couples in Jakarta to get a comprehensive view on reduced overhead costs, better staffing flexibilities,
their way of managing stress during the pandemic. increased productivity and improved employee
retention. As for employees, telecommuting can

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International Journal of Scientific Research and Engineering Development-– Volume 3 Issue 3, May – June 2020
Available at www.ijsred.com
bring them a better quality of life, eliminates more likely to be work-family conflict rather than
transportation cost and duration, and flexible work family-work (Byron, 2005). Sandwich couples
schedules. Kossek (2006) also agrees that experience stress in their objective to manage their
telecommuting can result in great psychological job responsibilities as parents, as employees that have
control that turning down turnover intention for to do the works, as teachers for their children, and
employee, reduce work-family conflict and as a housemaid for their home (Lee et al 2007). As
depression. Some organizations in Jakarta have couples with multiple roles as caregivers that have
applied this way of working, allowing employees to to take care of their aging parents, the sandwich
take a day work from home once a week or two, generation also openly exposed to stress risk (Neal
while other employees in different organizations & Hammer, 2006). Supported by Valcour et al
still see telecommuting is a precious way of work (2005) that also concludes family intervention to
that no one can easily get. In a situation of the work is more likely to happen and predictable in
pandemic where non-essentials activity at the causing stress rather than work interference with
workplace is terminated, these white collars can family. Imbalance between family life and work-
have what they wish for, telecommuting, with no life can become the highest risk factor that caused
clear period when the termination will end. metal disorders rather than work stress (Wang et al,
2008). Therefore, sandwich couples always aim to
2) Sandwich Generation and Stress be at a balanced position to keep mental health, but
Sandwich generation has been used as a term to there is a high risk for them to be exposed to stress
describe middle-aged people who support their during their attempt to reach their objective.
minor children emotionally and financially while Eastern philosophies define stress as an absence
taking care of their aging parents with providing of inner peace, while western culture tends to
physical, financial, emotional, and legal assistant describe stress as the loss of emotional control. It is
support (Mobily & Teague, 2012). High land and the body nonspecifically respond to any adaptation
housing price in Jakarta causing its millennials to to demands that cause pain or pleasure (Seaward,
find it difficult to buy them with their current 2017) and the stressor can be categorized into three
financial ability. Most of them have to choose groups: bioecological influence, social influence ad
between staying with their parents or buying a psycho-intrapersonal influence. In the same thought,
house in satellite cities surrounding Jakarta. Both Radhakrishnan &Mallammal (2018) also define
option options provide disadvantages affecting their stress is an automatic response of the body to any
work-life activity, high transportation cost, and demand in the form of physical or mentally placed
duration in going and of work if they choose living upon it. Stress can occur whenever an individual is
in a satellite city, or higher stress and living cost if not sufficient to cope with their resource with the
they chose to live in Jakarta with their aging parents. pressures and demands of a situation (Michie,
Living with both minor children and aging 2002). In correlation with work and attempt to have
parents, is the top challenge for sandwich couples in work-life balance, stress can be described as a result
their attempt to seek work-life balance, which where an employee unable to fulfill the demand
subjectively defined as a balance between work from both work and home-life with their limited
activity and the rest of an employee's life (Guest, resource in the form of energy and time.
2002). Employees living with children having more
job stress than those without children, and the stress

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International Journal of Scientific Research and Engineering Development-– Volume 3 Issue 3, May – June 2020
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3) Telecommuting sandwich couples during working at the office, telecommuting will require
pandemic them to have better agility in adaptation.
The pandemic is forcing the government to close Self-isolation by staying at home almost all the
down any non-essentials organization in order to time can lead to social frustration as a result of
promote people to stay at home. With people stay at minimum interaction with subordinates and work
home, the business activity therefore should be peers, and not only frustration, it can also lead to
continued by the white collars at home. With the occurrence of feelings of professional isolation
sandwich couples’ all family members staying at (Bailey & Kurland, 1999). With telecommuting at
home, they have to perform multiple roles at the home with so much accessibility, the sandwich
same time, every day until the pandemic is over. It generation might find themselves working longer
is proven by research results cited in this paper that hours with further straining family relationships.
telecommuting will open wide access for stress to Thus, by telecommuting at home and eliminating
occur if the employee cannot perform appropriate work commuting, will blur the distinctions between
stress management by managing their multiple roles work life and family life, which is a disadvantage
at home properly. Stress management can be for the couples. Based on the research literature
performed effectively if an employee can define mentioned above, it is clear that shady boundaries
from which aspect the stressors will occur. or blur distinctions between work and home life is a
potential stressor for sandwich couples facing in
4) Evaluating possible stressors their telecommuting during the pandemic.
With various benefits telecommuting can provide
either for an individual employee or for the 5) How should sandwich couples managing
organization, there are disadvantages that rarely stress
people determine as a threat to their stress level. Individual stress management mentioned by
Harpaz (2002) in his study determine that possible Michie (2002) in her research has proven to help to
sense of isolation, shady boundaries between work reduce the risk of health associated with stress and
and home can become potential stressor during thus can be utilized as the base to create ways for
telecommuting. While for the organizations, sandwich couple in managing stress in doing
telecommuting during the pandemic for all of their telecommuting during pandemic isolation.
white-collar employees will require them to apply a Individual stress management involves prevent
new set of rules to regulate new working method at stress through becoming aware of potential
home, more technical and soft skill training, and stressors, develop self-assessment to interrupt
additional new telecommuting infrastructure, and behavior patterns when the stress reaction is just
last but important, building system to bound beginning, analyzing the situation and develop an
employee's commitment in performing work-task. action plan to minimize stressors, and learning any
Khalifa & Davison (2000) more likely to view skills related to relaxation. Managing individual
telecommuting disadvantage at how it will give a stress will create a family-friendly atmosphere and
massive increasing cost impact as a result of how relaxed time pressure which are fundamentals to
the system changes to accommodate work with achieving the dual objective of work-home life
telecommuting, and not limited to, supervising the balance (Mennino et al, 2005).
employee. As employees that getting used to Following a research byAhrentzen (1990), in
focusing on clearing shady boundaries between

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International Journal of Scientific Research and Engineering Development-– Volume 3 Issue 3, May – June 2020
Available at www.ijsred.com
work and home-life, a teleworker should perform a about the importance of spousal role quality (Neal
particular adjustment to minimize or avoid role & Hammer, 2006). Although the working time span
conflict at home through maintaining a separate will be longer with this method, it will help the
workspace and restricting access to the workspace. couple focused on one thing rather than stressing
Deciding which space or rooms in the house that out handling both work and home-life at the same
will be used as a temporary workspace and time, and this way also will help them to make sure
announced it to all family members for their everything is taken care of. The couple also can
awareness will build a special boundary. Their ensure their children's activity well managed, from
aging parents and children will know whenever the studying, doing homework, and napping by
sandwich couple entering the room or that space for utilizing mobile scheduling applications and other
work, they should not disturb the couple with technologies for parents and children that can easily
unnecessary activity. The special space also helps get on the internet (Lee et al, 2007).
the couple to focus on work, creating an
environment, and feeling similar to when they are at B. Virtual Face-to-Face Interview with Asian Sandwich
the real office workplace. And whenever leaving Generation
the special rooms, they should leave all work- The next supporting methodology to finding out
related inside, thus giving their mind and body to how Asian sandwich generation managing stress in
adapt and focus on house-life. telecommuting during the Covid-19 pandemic is to
When the house becomes the only place where have face-to-face interviews. Through previous
the sandwich couple held their work and home-life research employee database screening of a non-
activity, there is no way for them to only focus on government FMCG industry in Jakarta, Indonesia.
32 sandwich couples accepted to fulfill the
work the whole day, neither for home-life. The
interview invitation. However, due to the social
children no longer to be able to study at school, distancing program, this research couldn't proceed
their aging parents will keep at home, their maid no with direct face-to-face interview, therefore a
longer able to come to help them with household virtual meeting media program utilized as a
activity due to social distancing regulation, all of substitute. The interview was held during the period
the situations will require the couple to manage 3 4 May to 17 May 2020, with a 1-hour interview
home-life aspects to be taken care of. Both time for each couple.
The interview subject filtered from the database
Ahrentzen (1990) and Kossek et al (2006) agrees are white collars with a working spouse, having at
that there should be integration strategy and least 1 child, and currently taking care of aging
rescheduling activities to keep enable the couple parent/parents. Their spouse is not necessarily
managing the house and create boundaries between having to work for the same company and their
home-life and work. Sandwich couple should child/children have to be a student. From this
discuss and decide who will be taking care of the source information, the subject then contacted via
emails and phones for their availability and
household, who will help the children studying, and
eagerness to share their experience as
who will be taking care of their parents, and most telecommuting sandwich parents during Covid-19
importantly, at what time. Shifting systems also will pandemic isolation. Since the method is qualitative
help them decide who will enter the working room to get any possible different outcomes from the
for work, and at the same time their spouse will be subject, there are no SPSS nor answer scoring from
outside the room to handle the house-life. utilized to analyze the answer to the questions. All
Sandwiched couples should educate themselves

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International Journal of Scientific Research and Engineering Development-– Volume 3 Issue 3, May – June 2020
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of the subject interviewed with below listed telecommuting during the pandemic for at least 9
question: weeks since the regulation from the government
1. How long have you been self-isolating and takes place. And since that time, they keep
teleworking at home? telecommuting 5 days a week and taking care of
2. With whom you are currently living, and their children and parents at the same time. All of
how is their health status? their organization require them to work 8 hours a
3. How much average time you spend your day day, but in fact it takes longer around 9-10 hours on
for work? average, and it was stressful conditions since they
are not getting used to telecommuting for a longer
4. Are you experience stress in telecommuting
period. They find it hard to adapt to the situation in
during the pandemic?
the first week, and on the second until the third
5. How you identify the stressors? week they can identify the controllable stressors to
6. How do you manage to create boundaries focus with. Indonesian sandwich generations in this
between work and home-life activity? subject are coming from middle-up economic class,
7. After stressors identified and reduced its but most of them living in a house with not so many
risk, are you still experience stress? rooms inside. Most of the time they work in the
living room, where all home activity centralized.
The answers to the above questions from all This leads to difficulties setting space as boundaries
subjects then summarized by the author to get a between work and home-life. Children and parents
comprehensive evaluation of how the subject still have access to influence their working space
managing stress in doing telecommuting during the whenever possible.
Covid-19 pandemic. However, there is a red string that connects the
literature review with the interview results, the time
III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION boundary. Sandwich generation allocate their time
in the morning to finish all their household activity.
The key points both Ahrentzen (1990) and
Cleaning, washing, cooking, helping their children
Kossek et al (2006) delivered in their research that
study, all were done in the morning. In regards to
boundary between work and home-life is the one
their parents, none of the couples having parents
that everyone in their telecommuting activity
with special needed, most of their aging parents still
should focus on in managing stress. Sandwich
have physical ability to do what they need on their
couples should define boundaries based on space
own and sometimes helping them with the
and time. Space boundary to differ which place is
household activity or taking care of the children.
for work and which are for non-work, and
Therefore, the sandwich generation has time to
whenever entering this place, the couples should
focus on work and meetings from noon until
focus more on works. Time boundaries should be
evening, with minimum disturbance from their
set to differ when they should be able to handle the
children for the rest of the day. Shifting strategy
household activity and when they have to do work
also applied in the noon and evening, where
tasks and attend virtual meetings. With clearing
husband and wife take turns to take care of the
boundaries in space and time, the sandwich
house.
generation could be able to allocate their energy
and time resources to fulfill the demand from work
and home-life, thus resulting to reduced stress as IV. CONCLUSIONS
resource and demand can be managed in balance. Both literature review and interview results
Virtual face-to-face interviews with the Asian conclude that creating a time boundary is the most
sandwich generation have a bit different result in effective way to manage controllable stressors,
comparison with the literature review, in terms of while not all sandwich generation is able to create
space boundaries. All of them have been doing space boundaries due to limited rooms available in

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