Remote work and its consequences for the employee in the time of the Covid-19 pandemic

Abstract

PURPOSE: The aim of this article is to present the results of preliminary research on the perception of remote work and its consequences for employees in Poland during the Covid-19 pandemic. The study tried to show that the limitations and social distance resulting from the pandemic changed office work into remote work.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The research was conducted with the use of the CAWI technique, i.e., a survey method, consisting of 1022 respondents. The study was carried out in the spring of 2021, when the Minister of Health in Poland called on employers to use remote work as widely as possible. The sample selection was random.

FINDINGS: The results show how the form of work has changed in times of constraints and distance, which indicates the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on employee behavior.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The obtained research results may provide hints for further actions and changes in the labor market after the Covid-19 period. Before the coronavirus pandemic, remote work was a privilege, in the age of the pandemic it became a necessity, and in the future, it may be one of the benefits for employees who will want. Research shows that there will be employees who will prefer to work in a hybrid system, combining remote work from home and the possibility of going to the office. It is also necessary to reconsider the benefits and risks of remote work from both the enterprise and employees.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The presented results complement the extensive research conducted in the world on the impact of the Covid-19 on remote work. The study was aimed at filling the research gap in Poland.