Working from home is still everyday for many office workers after the pandemic.
But organizations see a risk of a worse work culture, according to a new study.
– You see a deteriorating sense of we, says researcher Christina Bodin Danielsson.
Peace and quiet, the opportunity for self-determination and less hassle to put together the life puzzle – the advantages of working from home can be many. But low workplace attendance is worrying organizations, according to a new study that examined office life after the pandemic.
In the study, which is based on responses from office managers at 53 larger organizations in the Stockholm area, it appears that half of the workplaces do not reach up to 40 percent attendance and do not follow their own attendance rules.
In the surveyed organizations, remote work mainly takes place from home, which a large percentage of employees see as their main workplace, according to the person responsible for the study, Christina Bodin Danielsson, architect and docent in architecture at KTH
– It is a shift where one has gone from the common to a self-interest. The office managers even talk about some kind of egoism that has developed, she says.
– You see a deteriorating sense of we.
Takes longer
The organizations say they are experiencing several deteriorations after the pandemic, including in terms of collaboration and productivity.
– You lose the quick reconciliations and decisions. People talk about inertia within the organizations, everything takes longer, says Christina Bodin Danielsson.
Another risk highlighted is that employees cannot exchange knowledge with each other in the same way and that new employees do not receive the support they need.
– With physical meetings, you get much more information than with digital ones, because you can use your intuition and all your senses. Some employees who are quiet just disappear and some employees seem to go under the radar and avoid responsibility.
Affects relationships
Fewer spontaneous face-to-face meetings also affect the social relations between colleagues. It risks leading to fewer ideas and less creativity in the workplace, according to Christina Bodin Danielsson.
– We know that the community is decreasing and that also has an impact on our social health.
Facts: About the study
(TT)
The study is based on surveys and in-depth interviews with office managers at 53 larger organizations in the private and public sector, which have over 500 employees and offices in the Stockholm area.
The organizations were selected through a strategic selection. 70 percent of them were private and 30 percent public.
The survey was carried out in the spring of 2023.
The study has been financed by the property company Areim.