Flexible working during the COVID-19 pandemic: gains and strains in a Chinese state-owned organisation

PurposeThis study aims to identify and analyse the gains and strains associated with flexible working practices (FWPs) introduced and adopted prior to and during the pandemic and consider how these experiences are likely to shape the future of workplace flexibility post-pandemic. Design/methodology/approachA case study research strategy was adopted to explore the FWPs implemented by a state-owned organisation in the Chinese publishing industry. A mixed data collection method was used. Quantitative data was collected from 50 valid questionnaires, which was followed by 7 qualitative interviews to gain rich insights into the availability and effectiveness of various FWPs and associated benefits and drawbacks. FindingsWhile the results confirm positive effects FWPs have on employee engagement and retention and on business continuity and employee well-being during the pandemic, the empirical analysis highlights the performance-driven patterns in use and impacts of some FWPs, which caused concerns and dilemmas. Besides the increasing intense market competition, the changing face of state-owned enterprises and managerial attitudes have been found to have significant effects on the use of FWPs. Originality/valueThis paper has contributed to a better understanding of flexible working in an under-researched setting, reflected in changes before and during the pandemic, offering an insight into the commercialised nature of flexible working in the Chinese context. It has implications for organisations and HR practitioners as they envision future workplace flexibility.

Lecturers' Experiences of the Blurring of Work and Home Boundaries During the Covid-19 Pandemic at a South African ODeL University

The unprecedented extended Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns forced higher education institutions (HEIs) to find innovative ways to effectively deliver student tuition and support. The lockdown brought many challenges to the education sector, including increasing the blurring of the work-home boundaries. This study investigated how Covid-19 accelerated the blurring of lecturers' work-home boundaries in the College of Education at a distance education institution in South Africa. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from 15 lecturers. The results showed that a lack of workspace at many lecturers' homes forced them to work beyond normal office hours. One of the key findings was that complete segmentation and integration were impossible because these lines were continuously blurred during the pandemic. The demand for immediate feedback by students exacerbated the situation for many lecturers. There is a need for the design of fluid policies that can be readily implemented during times of emergency such as the pandemic.

The Importance of Monitoring the Work-Life Quality during the COVID-19 Restrictions for Sustainable Management in Nursing

The aim of this study was to investigate the work-life quality and related workplace factors of nursing employees working in hospitals during the COVID-19 restrictions. Employees in nursing carry out nursing care at various levels of healthcare. Work-life quality refers to an individual's feelings concerning work and outcomes and depends on different working characteristics and conditions. Quantitative research based on a cross-sectional study was used. This cross-sectional study included 486 employees in nursing from four Slovenian acute care hospitals. The results showed that most employees in nursing assessed the work-life quality on a moderate level: 76% were satisfied with their work, and 89% assessed their well-being at the workplace as positive. Considering the leaders' support, the number of patients, adequate information, teamwork, working position, use of days off, and equipment for safe work, we can explain the 53.5% of the total variability of work-life quality. We also found that work-life quality had an essential effect on well-being at the workplace (β = 0.330, p < 0.001) and work satisfaction (β = 0.490, p < 0.001) of employees in nursing. Work-life quality refers to an employees' feelings about their workplace, and its monitoring is important for higher employees' well-being and health. For management and policymakers in nursing, it is important to design strategies to ensure an adequate number of competent employees and establish a supportive leadership system. Work-life quality is an important factor in the recruitment and retention of the nursing workforce. Flexible working conditions and policy changes can improve work-life quality and balance. Nursing management must understand the influencing factors of work-life quality to improve nursing employee retention strategies.

Forced telecommuting during the COVID-19 lockdown: the impact on corporate culture in Spain and Kazakhstan

PurposeThis paper studied organizational culture in two different countries during the COVID-19 lockdown, a stressful social and labor context that obliged entire working populations to telecommute from home. We considered how people have coped with this new scenario, bearing in mind that one of the most relevant aspects of organizational culture and climate is the face-to-face interactions that take place in offices. With telework, that important physical relationship disappears and, since body language has its own grammar, work-related messages logically become open to misunderstanding between leaders and subordinates, as well as among peers.Design/methodology/approachAn anonymous questionnaire (in Spanish and Russian) was distributed through the LinkedIn social media platform. The study intended to capture responses from white-collar professionals with managerial profiles, including those occupying high and medium-level positions, consultants, section directors, and project managers across different industries in both the countries. We collected 142 responses from Spain and 115 from Kazakhstan, with a total of 257 valid responses. Principal component's analysis (PCA), to obtain factorial axis was applied. We then performed a factor analysis of those principal components using Coheris Analytics SPAD 9.1.FindingsThe first finding herein points to the fact that the same experience had different consequences in these two different places, which can be traced back to national-cultural values. Spain and Kazakhstan share some common values and, at the same time, are culturally opposite. People fear uncertainty and one of the best ways to avoid this feeling is to provide them with technical and emotional support to manage a situation. During the COVID-19 lockdown, professionals from both countries expected their bosses to be assertive, driven, attentive and encouraging. And it seems they got just that. Secondly, a robust structure is mandatory for feeling secure: workers reported devoting more hours to telecommuting at home and even felt that their jobs were invading their personal lives, but they handled it because they knew to whom they should report. Procedures, rules, and methods were clear enough to avoid uncertainty. They even invented new rituals, patterns and practices that helped to reinforce their sense of belonging to the team. On top of this, in their responses, they noted that leaders acted consistently, even admirably, during lockdown and, for this reason, they gained their subordinates' respect.Research limitations/implicationsResponses from female participants more than doubled those from males in this sample. Women are assumed to prefer flexible working conditions so that they can better take care of children and/or elderly or dependent persons, but this could just be a long-standing bias. On the other hand, the incorporation of women into professional life has feminized work environments, translating into more concern for workers' personal circumstances and more awareness of the human relationships therein. Thus, independent of the country studied, gender is another factor to consider for future research.Practical implicationsThis article proposes further exploratory study of how organizational contexts are affected by unexpected, informal and even radical changes, as well as of organizations' ability to manage said changes by looking to their cultural values.Originality/valueFacing a common enemy— the coronavirus— seems to have made workers more positive and less prone to complaining. Workers have been resolute and have tried their best not only in their individual work, but also with their co-workers and teams. The data suggests that, even when analyzing two diverse countries in terms of their cultural historical, and sociological contexts, companies' reactions impacted their employees somewhat similarly and engendered similar responses. At the same time, the reactions of Spanish and Kazakhstani professionals vary on certain aspects, and, surprisingly, converge in terms of avoiding uncertainty, w ich suggests a conservative reaction in both countries. This study concludes that structure (clarity of procedures, norms, patterns) and leaders' recognition of their employees' efforts to overcome uncertainty were of utmost importance.

Public servants working from home during the pandemic: Who gained and who lost?

Employees experienced both advantages and disadvantages while working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers have examined these impacts on women and those with caring responsibilities;however, little research has examined the impacts on other groups of employees, such as those with a disability or employed on a casual basis. In this article, we focus on the public sector and examine who gained and who lost while working from home, based on a 2020 survey of over 5000 Australian public servants. We have constructed loss and gain indices to measure three elements of a change model, which enables an evaluation of the impacts on various groups of employees. The elements of change management examined are operational areas, performance management, and beliefs and values. To analyse the factors affecting gains and losses, as summarised in the indices, we applied a statistical model estimated using linear regression methods. Our findings reveal that, on average, survey participants experienced a net gain. Families and employees with a disability gained;however, women gained less than men in the first two categories and gained more than men on the beliefs and values category. These findings highlight areas on which public service organisations need to focus as we enter a COVID-normal era. Points for practitioners: The benefits and drawbacks of working from home differ according to employee demographics. Overall, lower level employees and those employed on a casual basis gained less than higher level employees and those employed full time. Women gained less than men in relation to how work was operationalised and performed. These differential impacts highlight areas on which public sector organisations need to focus in a COVID-normal era. © 2023 The Authors. Australian Journal of Public Administration published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Institute of Public Administration Australia.

Flexible Working Arrangements and Social Sustainability: Study on Women Academics Post-COVID-19

One of the main challenges faced by companies, scholars, and governments nowadays is achieving economic, environmental, and social sustainability. Remote working, reduced work weeks, and other types of flexible working time arrangements (FWAs) are the new characteristics that will shape the future of work to ensure social sustainability. In changing work patterns, working styles are changed to possibly improve women employees' mental health and life–work balance. However, recently, very few firms have succeeded in adopting these new FWA trends. The purpose of this paper is to investigate women's preferences towards FWAs in the academic sector as a social sustainability source. We investigate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on female faculty members' future job preferences. The data used in the research are collected from a survey given to female faculty members who work in a Saudi women's university and have already experienced FWAs during the COVID-19 period. The study uses mixed methods of research, combining a choice modeling (CM) method, one sample t-test, a paired sample t-test, cluster analysis, and probit models. Our results show that flexible working arrangements improve the wellbeing of women employees, which ensures sustainable social development. The findings also show that flexibility in location plays a significant role in the decision made by female faculty members when revealing their flexibility preferences. However, flexibility in time did not play a significant role in the decisions made by respondents. This study adds to the empirical evidence in the current literature on female academic staff preferences for FWAs in Saudi Arabia, using choice modeling conjoint analysis and mixed approaches. © 2022 by the authors.

Review article: Parenting leaves, workplace characteristics, male health, and the pandemic: Currents in policy-related fatherhood research in higher income countries

Objective: This review article provides an overview on the state of policy-related fatherhood research in high income countries. Background: The review article focuses on four main currents of multi-disciplinary policy-related fatherhood research. The first considers the research on national level parenting leaves. The second explores research on organisation and workplace policies. The third presents research on policies around male health and fatherhood practices. The fourth looks at the impact of COVID-19 related policies on fathers. Method: This is a review article and so presents a review of the literature. It is not a systematic literature review but rather aims to show the benefit of multi-disciplinary conversation within fatherhood research. Results: Commonalities are found across the four policy-related areas in terms of key questions, but also in terms of research gaps. Conclusion: There is consensus around what works for engaging fathers across policy contexts. There is perhaps a paradox in that `de-gendered' policies are usually most effective, but that fathers need to recognise that these degendered policies are for them.

COVID-19, the Great Recession and Economic Recovery: A Tale of Two Crises.

COVID-19 caused a major economic downturn, the like of which had not been seen since the Great Recession although the underlying causes of the two crises were very different; systemic risk versus a virus. Here we look at how flexible work practices, allied with adequate supports and lifelong learning opportunities, aided economic recovery following the earlier crisis in order to see if there are any lessons to be learnt for post-pandemic recovery. Overall, the results indicated that flexicurity provided a modest growth dividend during the Great Recession, typically no more than one percentage point. Of the individual components, the short-run results indicated that security along with life-long learning and part-time work proved the most beneficial, although flexible work practices also boosted growth, albeit to a lesser extent. For flexible labour markets, the long-run results indicated that the growth gains were highest in trusting economies with, or without, social partner engagement.

What makes work smart in the public sector? Insights from a bibliometric analysis and interpretive literature review

Debate on smart working in the public sector is rich, yet poorly systematized. The article fills this gap through a domain-based literature review. A bibliometric investigation enabled us to cluster 72 relevant papers in 5 research streams based on bibliographic coupling. An interpretive approach was undertaken to analyse key themes addressed within and across the clusters. A blurred account of smart working emerged. Despite the triggers fostering the transition towards smart working, its contents are ambiguous. Smart work arrangements fall short in augmenting the individual control over job and impair interpersonal relationships at work, paving the way for dumb work.

COVID-19 Sürecinin Íş Yaşamına Etkisi: Örgüte Duyulan Güven Algısının Esnek Çalışmaya Etkisinde Beş Faktör Kişilik Özelliklerinin Düzenleyici (Moderatör) Rolü

Bu çalışmada, çalışanların örgütlerine duydukları güvenin esnek çalışma üzerindeki etkisi ve beş faktör kişilik değişkeninin bu ilişkideki düzenleyici rolü incelenmiştir. Araştırmanın örneklemini Erzurum ilindeki bir telekominikasyon firmasının çağrı merkezinde çalışan 228 işgören oluşturmaktadır. Araştırma modelinde yer alan hipotezler SPSS Process Macro analizi ile test edilmiştir. Değişkenler arasındaki ilişkiler korelasyon analizi ile beş faktör kişiliğin düzenleyici etkisi ise regresyon analizi ile test edilmiştir. Araştırma sonuçlarına göre, esnek çalışma modelinin benimsenmesinde örgütlerdeki güven ortamının önemli etkisinin bulunduğu tespit edilmiştir. Çalışmada, çalışanların örgütlerine duydukları güvenin esnek çalışma üzerinde olumlu yönde etkisi olduğu ve beş faktör kişilik özelliklerinden dışa dönüklük, deneyime açıklık ve sorumluluğun bu ilişkide düzenleyici rolü bulunduğu görülmüştür. Elde edilen bulgular ışığında uygulamaya ve yazına yönelik öneriler ortaya konulmuştur.Alternate :In this study, the effect of employees's trust to organization on flexible working and the moderating role of big-five personality domains on this relationship has been examined. The research sample consists of 228 employees in call center of a telecommunication firm in Erzurum. The hypotheses included in the research model were tested using SPSS Process Macro. The relations between variables were examined with Correlation Analysis and moderating role of big five personality domains was analyzed by Regression Analysis. According to the results of the study, it was determined that the environment of trust in the organization has a significant effect on the adoption of the flexible working. In thus study, employees's trust to organization had a positive effect on flexible working and extraversion, openness and conscientiousness dimensions of big-five personality domains was moderating role on this relationship. In light of the findings of the current study, practical and theoretical implications were discussed.

Impact of Flexible Working Arrangements on Millennials' Mental Health, Well-Being and Productivity during COVID-19

Malaysian millennials are reported to be struggling with stress and well-being issues at the workplace during the last decade. Drawing from the Self-Determination Theory, this study examines whether flexible working arrangements (FWAs) could impact millennials' mental health, well-being and productivity at the workplace. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to 400 millennials in the services sector during the COVID-19 period. Findings revealed that FWAs influenced millennials' mental health, well-being, and productivity as millennials value job autonomy and a friendly work ecosystem as an ideal workplace. This sees a compelling case for Malaysian businesses to adopt FWAs in a more structured way in line with Sustainable Development Goal-3.

The future of the corporate office? Emerging trends in the post-Covid city

Part of an ongoing longitudinal study, this article provides evidence on the emerging impacts of Covid-19 on the demand for, configuration and role of offices in cities, drawing on primary data from semi-structured interviews with UK-based corporate real estate managers. The research is grounded on a 'theory of change' framework combining real estate, institutional economics and economic geography literature. Our findings confirm an acceleration towards hybrid working patterns. While some changes in the current use of offices may be temporary or more dynamic, other adjustments may be permanent (for example working from home, portfolio rationalisations) and trigger structural changes across cities.

What works to reduce sedentary behavior in the office, and could these intervention components transfer to the home working environment?: A rapid review and transferability appraisal.

Background: Working patterns have changed dramatically due to COVID-19, with many workers now spending at least a portion of their working week at home. The office environment was already associated with high levels of sedentary behavior, and there is emerging evidence that working at home further elevates these levels. The aim of this rapid review (PROSPERO CRD42021278539) was to build on existing evidence to identify what works to reduce sedentary behavior in an office environment, and consider whether these could be transferable to support those working at home. Methods: The results of a systematic search of databases CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, PsycInfo, CINHAL, and SportDiscus from 10 August 2017 to 6 September 2021 were added to the references included in a 2018 Cochrane review of office based sedentary interventions. These references were screened and controlled peer-reviewed English language studies demonstrating a beneficial direction of effect for office-based interventions on sedentary behavior outcomes in healthy adults were included. For each study, two of five authors screened the title and abstract, the full-texts, undertook data extraction, and assessed risk of bias on the included studies. Informed by the Behavior Change Wheel, the most commonly used intervention functions and behavior change techniques were identified from the extracted data. Finally, a sample of common intervention strategies were evaluated by the researchers and stakeholders for potential transferability to the working at home environment. Results: Twenty-two studies including 29 interventions showing a beneficial direction of effect on sedentary outcomes were included. The most commonly used intervention functions were training (n = 21), environmental restructuring (n = 21), education (n = 15), and enablement (n = 15). Within these the commonly used behavior change techniques were instructions on how to perform the behavior (n = 21), adding objects to the environment (n = 20), and restructuring the physical environment (n = 19). Those strategies with the most promise for transferring to the home environment included education materials, use of role models, incentives, and prompts. Conclusions: This review has characterized interventions that show a beneficial direction of effect to reduce office sedentary behavior, and identified promising strategies to support workers in the home environment as the world adapts to a new working landscape.Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021278539, identifier CRD42021278539.

The Association between Working Hours Flexibility and Well-Being Prior to and during COVID-19 in South Korea.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the relationship between the flexibility of work schedule arrangements and well-being among full-time workers prior to and after the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in South Korea. METHODS: Data from the fifth 2017 and sixth 2020-2021 Korean Working Conditions Survey, including a final sample of 45,137 participants (22,460 males; 22,677 females), were used. Multiple logistic regression was performed to establish the association between schedule arrangement types and the 5-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index. RESULTS: The study found an association between flexible schedule arrangements and good well-being in 2017: "little flexibility" (odds ratio (OR), 1.33; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.27-1.48), "moderate flexibility" (OR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.28-1.71), and "high flexibility" (OR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.06-1.72). During COVID-19, only workers with "high flexibility" were likely to have good well-being (OR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.18-1.88), while the association between well-being and "low flexibility" (OR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.96-1.17) and "moderate flexibility" types (OR, 0.66; 95% CI 0.59-0.75) decreased. This study found that flexible working hours may contribute to better well-being among full-time workers. However, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on working conditions and employee well-being should be addressed while setting working hours.

The Never-ending Shift: A feminist reflection on living and organizing academic lives during the coronavirus pandemic.

This article offers a feminist reflection written as a nocturnal stream of consciousness exposing the embodied, emotional and professional experience of living and working during a pandemic outbreak. Framed within a feminist approach, this personal narrative provides an example of the effects of such unexpected and unprecedented circumstances on personal and professional academic lives. Developed during the first stage of the (inter)national coronavirus pandemic, my reflections address issues of privilege; emotional labour; the virtual invasion of the home space within the current increasingly ambiguous space of 'the workplace'; workload; and wellbeing. Further, I consider how the newly enforced flexible work measures based on online tools have turned current work-life dynamics into a 'Never-ending Shift'.

Transformation Of Legal Regulation Of Labor In Ukraine In The Context Of The Experience Of Foreign Countries Under Covid-19 Conditions

The article examines transformation of the legal regulation of flexible working hours, home-based work and teleworking in Ukraine in the context of the experience of foreign countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is investigated that under quarantine conditions the application of these forms of labour organization has increased and their legislative regulation in Ukraine and foreign countries has improved. Currently, in Ukraine flexible working hours are applied not only to employees who work under an employment contract, but also to government employees. The legal regulation of home-based work and teleworking has undergone some transformations from their initial identification to the subsequent differentiation. Legislative consolidation of teleworking has led to the establishment of a new institution, namely the right to disconnect (the period of free time of the employee who works remotely). Comparative characteristics of flexible working hours, home-based work and teleworking according to the laws of Ukraine are identified. It has been found that the legalization of non-traditional forms of labour organization including flexible working hours, home-based work and teleworking under quarantine conditions has allowed maintaining the stability of labour relations, ensuring social distance of workers and reducing the morbidity levelduring the COVID-19 pandemic. © The Electrochemical Society

Work-from-home (WFH) during COVID-19 pandemic - A netnographic investigation using Twitter data

Purpose This paper aims to create a better understanding of the challenges posed by work from home (WFH) during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, to investigate the public sentiment toward this transition, and to develop a conceptual model incorporating the relationships among the factors that influence the effectiveness of WFH. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses netnography method to collect data from the Twitter platform and uses Python programming language, Natural Language Processing techniques and IBM SPSS 26 to conduct sentiment analysis and directed content analysis on the data. The findings are combined with an extensive review of the remote work literature to develop a conceptual model. Findings Results show the majority of tweets about WFH during the pandemic are positive and objective with technology and cyber security as the most repeated topics in the tweets. New challenges to WFH during pandemic include future uncertainty, health concerns, home workspaces, self-isolation, lack of recreational activities and support mechanisms. In addition, exhaustion and technostress mediate the relationship between the antecedents and outcomes of WFH during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, the fear of pandemic and coping strategies moderates these relationships. Originality/value This paper is one of the first efforts to comprehensively investigate the challenges of WFH during a crisis and to extend the remote work literature by developing a conceptual model incorporating the moderating effects of fear of pandemic and coping strategies. Moreover, it is the first paper to investigate the tweeting behavior of different user types on Twitter who shared posts about WFH during the ongoing pandemic.

Corporate occupiers’ attitude to flex space in the post-Covid environment

Purpose: This paper investigates how large UK corporate occupiers perceive the potential role of flexible office space in their office portfolios in a post-pandemic context. Design/methodology/approach: The research methodology is qualitative and applied. For a longitudinal survey, convenience sampling was used to obtain co-operation from 11 corporate real estate managers with responsibility for managing large corporate real estate portfolios spread across a range of business sectors and countries. Semi-structured interviews were selected as the core research method to seek and to optimise the balance between discovery and generalisability. Findings: Although the pandemic has led corporate occupiers to fundamentally re-appraise where and when different work tasks are performed, it is not yet clear whether this has major implications for the flex space sector. The flex space model, with its blending of various occupiers and activities, is perceived to be poorly aligned with an increasing emphasis on the office as a core corporate hub facilitating connection, collaboration, enculturation, learning and creativity. Since most flex space is concentrated in central locations, it is also not well positioned to benefit from any decentralisation of office functions. However, as the flex space sector evolves in response to structural shifts in employment and working practices and business change, its various products are likely to be a continuing requirement from corporate occupiers for short-term solutions to demand shocks, the need for rapid market entry, accommodation for short-term projects and access to desk space in multiple locations. Practical implications: Understanding occupiers' drivers in their decision-making on selecting the method of occupation will assist investors in how they might adjust what they offer in the marketplace. Originality/value: Whilst there has been a substantive number of surveys of corporate occupiers' perceptions and intentions regarding their office portfolio, this paper focusses on a specifically on the flex space sector. Whilst previous research has mainly been extensive, this research study is intensive. © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited.

The Effects of COVID-19 on Ukraine’s Regulation of Employment Relations

This article aims to study the changes in the legal regulation of employment relations in Ukraine following the outbreak of COVID-19. The pandemic has increased law-making activity. However, the obsolescence of Ukraine’s Labour Code has produced questionable outcomes. For this reason, the disadvantages caused by the rules governing employment relations in Ukraine should be dealt with, while seeking higher involvement of the social partners, scholars and relevant international organizations. © 2020 ADAPT University Press. All rights reserved.

Real estate insights: offices - reports of my death are greatly exaggerated

Purpose The aim of this Real Estate Insight is to comment upon the role that offices will play in the post-COVID 19 work environment. The impact of lockdowns, worldwide, was to accelerate the changes in office use that were already beginning in the late 2010s as changes in work culture and practice and supporting technology were slowly transforming the way in which people worked. Design/methodology/approach This Real Estate Insight will comment upon changes in the UK market as a bellwether for global working practices. The nature of the "Insights" briefings means that this is a personal view of the author. Findings This paper looks at office usage in a transitional, post-COVID 19, marketplace. The findings are a reasoned conjecture that traditional office use still has a place for the workforce of the 2020s and beyond, although office use will be less intense as workers adopt a range of other working practices, including coworking and working at home, outside the four walls of the physical office building. Practical implications As with all property investment, the value and performance of the property assets is interlinked with the use and demand of the space in question. There will be a rebasing of rents as the use of office space becomes less intense and the lowering of unit costs will allow companies to restructure the internal space to accommodate a more flexible working environment. Originality/value This is a review of the UK office market in relation to a seismic change in how workers choose to work post COVID-19.