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Abstract

A significant change that employees in the United States have experienced because of the COVID-19 pandemic is the rise of remote work. There are many benefits of remote work. However, many remote workers struggle to keep work and life separate. This study aimed to better understand how parents’ work-life boundaries have changed from before the pandemic into the new normal. Based on interviews with 16 mothers and 16 fathers, this study examined how parents’ preferences for keeping work and life separate have adjusted and what factors affect their work and life. This research also explored how mothers and fathers differ in their strategies to navigate between work and life when working remotely. Participants were asked about their work-life boundary preferences and the effects of working remotely before the pandemic, during lockdown, and now. This research uncovered six themes on how parents managed their work-life boundaries: two mindset shifts and four boundary management strategies. Parents adapted their mindsets by redefining their priorities and setting realistic work and family expectations. The four boundary management strategies were turning off technology, sticking to a schedule, designating a home office space, and using a door-closed policy. These themes expand our knowledge of boundary theory by exploring how parents’ work-life boundaries changed while working remotely during and after the pandemic and gender differences in boundary management strategies.

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