More home office or more office? Is the four-day week coming? How is the hybrid working world developing? Experts offer an outlook on the trends for 2024.
After the Corona shock, there was a lot of talk about the “new normal” in the world of work. Today, employees know that the “new normal” is not a fixed situation; the world of work is evolving. In some industries and companies, Corona developments such as home offices and flexible working hours have increased, while in others they have been scaled back.
Experts from the International Workplace Group (IWG), a global provider of co-working solutions, have looked at current work trends together with scientists and have published a white paper looking ahead to 2024. Hybrid working – according to the analysis – is global Megatrend that is continuing to accelerate due to technological advances.
But what does that mean for the German labor market? We spoke to Alexander Spermann, labor market researcher and economics professor at the University of Freiburg and the private FOM University of Cologne, and Christoph Schneider, IWG manager for the German market, about the future of hybrid working.
Will we be working more or less from home in 2024?
In some companies, home working has been the new standard since the first Corona lockdown. But there are also employers who are increasingly pushing for greater employee presence. In some industries, a kind of culture war has broken out over how much home office work should, can and should be allowed.
Labor market expert Spermann does not expect a return to the old face-to-face culture in 2024 where home offices have become established. “Companies will continue to rely on hybrid working in 2024,” says Spermann. “Hybrid working contributes to the three D’s of the German labor market: decarbonization, digitalization and demographics.” This means: fewer trips to the office not only save time, but also CO2 and can still be associated with high productivity thanks to digital working methods. In addition, in times of a shortage of skilled workers, hybrid forms of work are also an opportunity to keep older employees in the job longer who would like to Want to stay professionally active – without having to drive to the office every morning.
However, Spermann also emphasizes the limitations of the home office: “Especially for younger workers who are still relatively new to the job, working exclusively in the home office brings productivity disadvantages.” They could often achieve more and develop better if they also worked in direct contact on site. How the relationship between face-to-face and remote work is best designed can vary greatly not only between different industries, but even between different teams within a company.
IWG expert Christoph Schneider, not entirely unselfishly, brings a third alternative to the central office and home office into play. Decentralized co-working offices close to home where employees can come together without having to travel to headquarters in the city. IWG offers such offices in suburbs and residential areas and wants to expand the offering in German cities. “The office has to adapt to the reality of people’s lives,” says Schneider.
Is the four-day week coming?
Working one day less, with full salary: The four-day week was already a hotly debated topic in 2023. The discussion was fueled by promising results from a British pilot project in which companies had successfully tested the four-day week. In 2024, 50 German employers will start such an experiment. Some trade unions and parts of the SPD have already shown their support for the four-day week. In the case of a wage dispute between train drivers and the railway, the main issue is working hours.
Labor market expert Spermann expects the issue of the four-day week to flare up again in the new year. He is already observing individual employers who use the promise of a four-day week as a lure in recruiting. However, we are a long way from widespread implementation or even a right to a four-day week.
Spermann sees the topic as part of a broader discussion: “Employers who want to be attractive must generally offer flexible working time models.” Some people might like to do all of their work in four days to free up a day. Others would rather have their working hours equalized so that they correspond better with their private life or child care.
How should hybrid working work in practice?
Working in different places, working at different times: in order for hybrid working to work and bring advantages rather than disadvantages to companies, they have to organize themselves well. Some international corporations have created a special position for this task: the Chief Hybrid Officer.
IWG expert Schneider expects that even more companies in Germany will employ such a top manager for hybrid collaboration in 2024. Ultimately, hybrid working touches on topics ranging from real estate management (how many offices do we need where?) to working time models and technological questions (how and with what do we communicate?).
These points ultimately determine the corporate culture and the satisfaction of employees with their work-life balance, says labor market researcher Spermann. And: “Employees have higher expectations than before.”
Source: Stern
