Fler och fler personer arbetar på distans, i synnerhet efter covid-19 pandemin. Denna kvalitativa studie belyser HR-chefers upplevelser av distansarbetets konsekvenser för work/life balance, eftersom det inte finns tillräckligt med forskning inom detta område. Frågeställningen lyder: Hur upplever HR-chefer att distansarbete påverkar balansen mellan arbetsliv och privatliv? För att få svar på frågeställningen har semistrukturerade intervjuer genomförts med tio HR-chefer. Resultatet presenteras i form av teman och underteman med tillhörande analys. I analysen har respondenternas utsagor jämförts med tidigare forskning och Sue Campbell Clarks work/family border theory, som utgör studiens ramverk. De huvudteman som identifierades genom tematisk analys är gränssättning, struktur, flexibilitet och arbetstid. Upplevelsen av distansarbetets effekter på balansen mellan arbete och privatliv är delad. För vissa är distansarbete något som underlättar vardagen och som leder till ökade möjligheter att kombinera arbete och privatliv, medan andra har svårigheter att sätta gränser mellan de båda domänerna, vilket påverkar deras välbefinnande negativt. Personliga förutsättningar såsom boende, familjesituation och personlighet verkar ha betydelse för hur väl man trivs och kan anpassa sitt liv efter distansarbete. / People are working remotely to a greater extent, especially after the covid-19 pandemic. This qualitative study sheds light on HR managers' experiences of the consequences of telework for work/life balance, as there is not enough research on this. The research question is: How do HR managers experience that telework affects the balance between work and private life? To answer this question, semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten HR managers. The results are presented in the form of themes and sub-themes with an associated analysis. In the analysis, the respondents' statements have been compared with previous research and Sue Campbell Clark's work/family border theory, which constitutes the framework of the study. The main themes identified through thematic analysis are boundaries, structure, flexibility and working hours. The experience of the effects of telework on the balance between work and private life is divided. For some, teleworking is something that facilitates everyday life and leads to increased opportunities to combine work and private life, while others have difficulty setting boundaries between the two domains, which negatively affects their well-being. Personal conditions such as housing, family situation and personality seem to be important for how well you feel comfortable and can adapt your life to teleworking.

Teleworking is a fastly developing field, but the teacher profession has not been among thosein the forefront. Due to the Coronavirus pandemic several professions, including universityteachers, have been forced into telework in order to decrease infection rates of Covid-19. Thisstudy analyzes how forced telework affects the experience of a changed work situation. Theaim is to examine how, due to the pandemic, forced telework have affected universityteachers’ experience of their work situation and work/family balance. Six qualitativeinterviews are analyzed through themes of room for action, work load, workplace support andwork/family balance by using the Command -control(-support)model and Work/FamilyBorder Theory. Level of responsibility, authority and previous technical abilities and digitalexperience are shown to be important aspects in relation to dealing with the changed workingenvironment. The balance between work and family/private life is experienced differently butyoung children and availability are two aspects which makes boundary-making harder nowcompared to before the switch to teleworking. / Distansarbete blir allt mer förekommande men läraryrket har inte varit en av de framståendeyrkesgrupperna i utvecklingen. På grund av den rådande pandemin har flera yrkesgrupper,däribland universitetslärare, tvingats till distansarbete för att bidra till minskning avsmittspridningen av Covid-19. Detta självständiga arbete undersöker hur påtvingatdistansarbete påverkar upplevelsen av en förändrad arbetssituation. Syftet med föreliggandestudie är att undersöka hur påtvingat distansarbete, i samband med pandemin, har påverkatuniversitetslärares upplevelse av dels sin arbetssituation och dels balansen mellan arbetslivoch privatliv. Sex kvalitativa intervjuer analyseras utifrån handlingsutrymme,arbetsbelastning, stöttning på arbetsplatsen samt balans mellan arbetsliv och privatliv medstöd i Krav-kontroll(-stöd)modellen och Gränsteori. Grad av ansvar och befogenheter samttekniska färdigheter och digital vana är viktiga faktorer relaterat till hur situationen upplevsoch hanteras. Balansen mellan arbete och privatliv upplevs olika men små barn ochtillgänglighet är två faktorer som gör att gränsdragningen mellan arbetsliv och privatlivupplevs svårare nu jämfört med innan omställningen till distans.

Guided by family/work border theory, this phenomenological study explored the effects of stress while attempting to balance work and home through the lens of six high school female principals from the Central and Northern parts of California. This qualitative study used a phenomenological approach to examine the effects stress had on the physical and mental health of participants. Phenomenological interviews provided a rich description of the lived experiences of female high school principals. A thorough analysis of data exposed six distinct themes: (a) work became the priority, (b) coping mechanisms, (c) implications of being a woman, (d) lonely at the top, (e) blurred boundaries, and (f) the need for more support. Study participants’ experiences provide insight into the primary sources of stress, how stress affected their physical and mental health, the effect their stress had on their home domain, and how participants coped with the stress. Findings from this study address ways stress can be minimized to better balance work and home.

This master thesis highlights employees’ perceptions and experiences of working remotely in the presence of the Covid-19 pandemic. The aim of the thesis is to understand how remote work during pandemic times impacts employees’ perception of their overall working life. In addition to that, it highlights employees’ experience of their social interaction, impression exchange, feedback sharing, trust-building, and performance at work. It strives to illuminate employees’ impression of their work-life balance and the specific company’s organizational culture when working remotely in pandemic times. The research problem is built upon possible reductions of informal interaction between employees when working remotely, which further on can cause separation of teams and a decreased employee identification with the organization. The research problem also has its foundation in the possible blurring of boundaries between two components, personal- and professional life, when working from home. The thesis was formed by a qualitative research approach where the empirical data was collected through semi-structured interviews with employees at a specific company. The analysis illuminates insightful findings with support from previous research, theories, and concepts. The empirical results show that employees have a variety of opinions about their work situation. Some argued for positive work-life balance, workflow, and collaboration, whereas other interviewees pointed out that informal interaction, trust-building, and feedback-sharing suffer when working remotely. Empirical data claim that remote work influences employees’ identification and sense of belonging within organizations, especially for new employees. Additionally, work-life balance became more balanced for some but challenging for others. Another finding shows that the perception and experience about the overall work life and organizational culture might not only be impacted by Covid-19 but also by the fast-growing company size.