Home-Office Managers Should Get Ready for the “New Normal”

Abstract

This research article aims to explore how employees are coping with working from home and provides practical suggestions for employers and managers adapting to the “new normal”. The main contribution of this research lies in the comprehensive integration of various aspects of managing a home office into four strategies, surpassing the findings of prior studies that focused on specific areas. This was achieved through a qualitative descriptive approach. Through semi-structured interviews with employees in the Czech Republic during the COVID-19 pandemic, four distinct employee types (“Working from Home is Not for Me”, “Yin and Yang”, “Holiday with Emergency”, and “Chameleon”) were identified based on their adaptation strategies. These strategies encompass aspects like time management, self- and family management, setting boundaries, task management, stress reduction, and adherence to rules. The article concludes by offering suggestions for more effective collaboration and employee management, taking into consideration their approach to remote work.