It is fair to say that the coronavirus pandemic has given the labor market plenty to think about over the past year. Companies in the hospitality and tourism industries, trade fair organizers, and many others that depend on large events have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic.
However, the situation is different in industry, administration, and other office workplaces. Under conditions of social distancing, hybrid working, including working from home, has proven to be an effective solution in many cases. This has many positive aspects, such as the ability to organize working hours flexibly. It also makes it easier to structure and balance family and career. Another advantage is the savings in costs, and it can also improve the physical and mental health of employees.
Until the coronavirus pandemic, employers were not convinced by hybrid working models because they were concerned about employee productivity. In many cases, however, it can be said that employee productivity has generally increased significantly. The short-term emergency measure of working from home has now become established as a permanent measure in some companies. However, some companies do not want to completely abandon the culture of presence and only offer working from home on a daily basis.
The pandemic has drastically accelerated the digitalization of the working world, and for some industries, this principle is working perfectly.
In summary:
- Managers and companies have understood that working from home has advantages and offers an attractive alternative because, contrary to all fears, productivity does not decline but actually tends to increase
- large, well-known companies are setting a good example by abolishing compulsory attendance, thereby paving the way for working from home
- hybrid working models, i.e., working in the office and at home, will become the norm sooner or later
- Hope for implementable concepts in other industries is growing
