Examining Cognitive Workload During Covid-19: A Qualitative Study

Covid-19 has caused a shift in the working environment, with people mandated to work from home where possible in the UK since March 2020. Cognitive workload is sensitive to environmental changes, so it’s possible that in moving from the office to working from home, people’s cognitive workload has been impacted. The research outlined presents findings from 11 interviews with office workers on whether their cognitive workload has been impacted due to changes in the working environment, consequence of Covid-19. Thematic analysis identified three themes that impact cognitive workload: The home environment, differing distractions and no longer having to commute. The paper finishes with a discussion of these themes in relation to cognitive workload and Covid-19 literature, as well as some recommendations on how employers should be flexible with employees to optimise workload.