Report 11 Mar 2021

Expert View: Work from Home – the Cultural Challenge

The Covid-19 pandemic has plunged society into one of the greatest crises in recent history. Besides all the negative impacts, however, this pandemic is also driving developments that had previously been tackled rather half-heartedly. Good examples are the digitization of business processes in general and the adoption of new ways of working. Work from home has become the standard in many companies during the pandemic, at least for large parts of the workforce. It is reasonable to assume that this will also be the case after the pandemic, since not only employees benefit from this model (work-life balance, efficient working, etc.), but also companies can benefit (smaller office spaces, more flexible working hours, ease of hiring talent without relocation, etc.). Furthermore, new working practices are better aligned with a future zero-carbon economy – after all, they would be compatible with possible restrictions on commuting, which will be necessary sooner or later. The crucial point is that many companies already have the technology in place to enable efficient work from home or anywhere else. However, the necessary cultural adjustments now have to be made.