2024/05/07
2024年著作
鄭雅文教師: Effect of Government Guidelines and Corporate Governance on Telework Adoption and Occupational Health Measures in Taiwanese-Listed Companies

Effect of Government Guidelines and Corporate Governance on Telework Adoption and Occupational Health Measures in Taiwanese-Listed Companies

 

AUTHOR

Chia-Jung Li, Louise E. Anthony, Tomohisa Nagata, Yawen Cheng (本所專任教師 鄭雅文特聘教授, Ro-Ting Lin ✉️

 

JOURNAL  Safety and Health at Work

PUBLISHED  2024.05.07

 

ABSTRACT

 

Background

Telework adoption in Taiwan has surged because of government guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examined the disclosure practices of Taiwanese-listed companies, assessing their adherence to government telework guidelines and their correlation with corporate governance, focusing on occupational health measures.

 

Methods

We conducted a guideline-adherent cohort analysis of the 2020 and 2021 sustainability reports of 295 Taiwanese-listed companies. We assessed their disclosure of corporate measures for teleworking in alignment with two government guidelines, specifically occupational health measures. Using the McNemar test and general estimating equation analysis, we compared the 2020 and 2021 responses and examined their associations with corporate governance rankings.

 

Results

Telework adoption increased significantly from 2020 to 2021, with 68% of companies reporting new work modes. The mentioning of government guidelines also increased to 67% by 2021. Companies with higher governance rankings were more likely to adopt online occupational health measures, including occupational health services (RR = 2.03; 95% CI = 1.41–2.94; p < 0.001) and mental health promotion activities (RR = 2.01; 95% CI = 1.06–3.82; p = 0.032), than those with low rankings. Although on-site and online occupational health services increased, home workspace assessments did not.

 

Conclusion

 

Our findings highlight significant upward trends in the disclosure of telework measures following the issuance of government guidelines. Corporate governance is significantly associated with the implementation of occupational health measures. Amid the evolution of teleworking, both government guidelines and corporate governance have become essential for shaping work arrangements and ensuring workforce well-being.

 

KEYWORD

 

COVID-19; Disclosure; Pandemic; Taiwan; Telework