Effects of Changing Work Environments on Employer Support for Physical Activity During COVID-19

COVID-19 dramatically accelerated evolving changes in the way we define the “work environment” in the United States. In response to COVID-19, many employers have offered increased flexibility for where employees work, including remote (an employee’s workstation is at home) and hybrid work (an employee works both at the employer worksite and remotely, on predetermined schedules). Accordingly, worksite physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviors (SB) such as extended sitting time (ST) may have changed.1,2 However, little is known about whether these work arrangements are associated with changes in employer support for PA. Interviews were conducted to assess this gap in understanding. Because little is known about employer support for equity with respect to PA and SB, this study sought to identify potential strategies to assure equity in PA opportunities across work environments.