The coronavirus pandemic has triggered a mass transition to home working, and despite the virtues of working flexibly being lauded for many years, it remains to be seen whether people, and organizations, will persist when working in the office becomes an option again.  New research from the University of East Anglia suggests it could be so.

“Organizations did not have time to provide proper training to their staff, and many knowledge workers did not have the chance to fully prepare for remote e-working,” the researchers say. “People genuinely supported each other from a distance.”

The study saw a number of knowledge workers quizzed on the role technology was playing in their work from home.  The analysis revealed that team collaboration software was commonly used, with this technology helping workers to maintain their productivity, and in some cases even enhance their relationships with colleagues.  This new way of working quickly developed into a ‘new normal’.

The authors highlight how this new way of working has had an almost equal mixtures of positive and negative implications, especially for collaboration in knowledge-intensive roles.  For instance, the lack of a shared physical space has meant that knowledge workers have had to have scheduled interactions with colleagues rather than rely on spontaneous encounters.  This has been beneficial in reducing the number of interruptions experienced by workers, it’s also limited the sharing of knowledge the so often occurs during these random encounters.  This was found to be especially challenging for junior employees.

New ways of working

These scheduled meetings did help to mitigate some of the feelings of loneliness that working from home was generating, however.  Workers did report challenges in maintaining their work-life boundaries in the home environment, however, with everything tending to blend into one.  The frequency of meetings was also somewhat of a burden, especially alongside the wide range of other commitments during the pandemic.

For those employees who typically work offsite, the working from home during lockdown has meant a boost to their inclusivity at work.  With all teams on the same technology and channels to communicate, it’s helped to flatten the perceptions of hierarchy among employees, and allowed people to communicate with those they might otherwise have not.

Perhaps the most interesting thing, however, is just how quickly organizations, and indeed employees, have adapted to the new situation they find themselves in.

“We were amazed by the innovation capabilities and creativity of teams and businesses,” the researchers say. “EWFH showed that remote or flexible working is not only feasible, it also has various positive effects that should be maintained even after the pandemic.”