Iksan Tamrin, Mohd Rizal Mohd Isa, Muslihah Wook, Arniyati Ahmad, Sharifah Aishah Syed Ali, Muhammad Alif Ikhwan Zainuddin, Hendra Hidayat
This research investigates the perspectives of IT staff members regarding their experience with working from home (WFH) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia. The term "IT staff" in this context refers to individuals working in the ICT department. The study targets IT staff from public universities under WFH due to the pandemic. Using a random sampling method, a questionnaire specifically targeting IT staff was administered via WhatsApp groups and emailed to a defined population to collect data. The survey was conducted in Malaysia’s Public Universities, and the data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics; a total of 305 staff responses were collected. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was employed to examine the impact of WFH on IT staff experiences. The study's findings reveal that IT staff encountered various challenges during the lockdown period, including health and well-being issues, difficulties with team communication and collaboration, professional isolation, constraints imposed by the home environment, and limited social interaction. Furthermore, the results indicate that IT staff experienced negative effects, such as increased anxiety and stress, decreased motivation, and sleep disorders. However, some positive outcomes were also observed, such as the ability to meet personal needs, including cooking and self-care. To extend the scope of research in this domain, future studies could adopt the recommendations derived from this research and explore IT staff perspectives on WFH in private universities, schools, and colleges. © 2026, Politeknik Negeri Padang. All rights reserved.
Faculty of Defense Science and Technology, National Defense University of Malaysia, Kem Sg. Besi, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Electronics Engineering Department, Universitas Negeri Padang, Padang, Indonesia
