The hybrid office: productivity, social dynamics, and way forward

The question of whether remote working will be the new norm has to be considered by examining the problems that could possibly inhibit such a new reality. On one hand, firms benefit from less office space and less commuting time. On the other, issues of work-life balance, decentralisation of control, and the path towards an efficient productivity cap diminish this possibility.

Procedures which had become ingrained in workplace culture, including but not limited to: management checking up on their employees every so often, the general staff meeting every week, or socialising with colleagues at the staff canteen; were, in some cases, stripped away during the pandemic. This has encouraged management to become creative and make use of technological tools to keep operations running smoothly.

This report explores the viability of telework beyond Covid 19 and its results were a matter of discussion during the 2021 edition of our online forum "Shaping Malta's Future."