The pandemic is fast-moving, accelerating rapid changes that lead to new challenges and impacting organizations. A big mark has been left on the workplaces—places where we do business—because the ongoing change to remote work challenges the role of the office. It is highly possible that as the change progresses, the workplace will not only change its design but also the way in which work will be planned, organized, performed and controlled. However, as the restrictions ease up, questions arise: What is the potential of office sustainability? How has the perception of flexible office space changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic? This paper used an online survey as a quantitative research method. In this paper, we looked at the employer’s vision of the office. We investigated employers’ perspectives of where and in what settings the work will be performed in the post-pandemic time. Specifically, we discussed the changes employers will apply in terms of the work environment and office layout. The findings suggest that an increasing mobile workforce and expansion of the new work style will not mean an office exodus but will certainly have an impact on office utilization.
At the beginning of the pandemic an involuntary implementation of work from home practices was considered a short-term solution. The continuous pandemic has resulted in a work from home phenomenon. It is assumed that work from home can create substantial savings. The question is, therefore, whether work from home can reduce labour cost and be a cost saving tool for more efficient business. This paper analyzes the link between work from home and labour cost in 29 European countries. Analyzed data from Eurostat for the period 2019-2021 suggest a strong link between work from home and labour cost regardless of the frequency of use (sometimes or usually). We can observe an increasing dependence of these two variables, which will be apparently reflected as a trend in the nearest future. Growing inputs in the form of an increase in the price of electricity and gas forces us to reconsider the strict functioning of the on site work.
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has already left a mark on the economic activities and labor markets in both advanced and developing countries. While the impacts on the economy vary considerably, the oil dependent economies have been hit harder. Along with the impact of the pandemic disease, they have been contending with a major collapse in oil prices. Kuwait is the world’s seventh largest exporter of oil. Falling oil demand might affect the future growth of Kuwait’s economy in the long run, and if the crisis continues, possibility to provide employment opportunities will be challenged. The aim of this paper is to analyze potential pandemic’s impact on employment in Kuwait in comparison with the financial crisis from 2008-2009, what is of crucial importance for the businesses in the region to understand. The paper is based on a systematic review of the secondary data gathered by international institutions.
Employees’ work environment has drastically shifted from offices to homes. Telework is often a desired employee benefit, but employers consider it a temporary setting. The lasting COVID-19 pandemic has changed the concept of telework. Home office has gained importance and will likely become an essential part of the working environment even after the pandemic. This paper aims to identify the preferences of employees from culturally diverse backgrounds in relation to the setting of their work location and time after the end of the pandemic. A web-based questionnaire survey as a quantitative research method was used. Data were collected from employees in Slovakia and Kuwait. The research findings indicate that employees value time flexibility, although localization flexibility is also growing in importance. The proposed hybrid work model seems to be the most suitable solution in line with the employees’ preferences. It is crucial to understand employees’ needs in terms of working time and place because only workplaces that are designed for employees and show organizational resiliency can survive and maintain competitiveness in the future.
The pandemic is fast moving, accelerating rapid changes that lead to new challenges and making organizations suffer an impact. A big mark has been left on the workplaces - places where we do business, because an ongoing change to remote work challenges the role of the office. It is highly possible that as the change is progressing, it is not only the workplace that will change its design, but also the way in which work will be planned, organized, done and controlled. However, as the restrictions ease up questions appear: What is the potential of office sustainability? How has the perception of flexible office space changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic? This paper used an online survey as a quantitative research method. In this paper, we looked at the employer’s vision of the office. We investigated employers’ perspectives of where and in what settings the work will be done in the post-pandemic time. Specifically, we discussed the changes employers will apply in terms of work environment and office layout. The findings suggest that an increasing mobile workforce and expansion of the new workstyle will not mean an office exodus, but will certainly have an impact on office utilization.
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