深度-布鲁盖尔研究所-物理与虚拟的融合：未来工作的混合模式（英文）-2021.6-22页_1mb

Summary of "Blending the physical and virtual: a hybrid model for the future of work"

Core Content

This document explores the potential of hybrid work models as a transformative approach to the future of work in the European Union, drawing on the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights how the crisis has demonstrated that remote work can be both efficient and productive, without compromising workers' well-being or performance. The authors argue that the pandemic has created an opportunity for EU policymakers, trade unions, and business federations to develop a new Framework Agreement on Hybrid Work that replaces the 2002 Framework Agreement on Telework.

The hybrid model is envisioned as a flexible working arrangement where employees can work both on-site and remotely, with a balance that can be negotiated at the individual or collective level. This model is expected to improve geographic mobility, work-life balance, and organisational efficiency, while also addressing the frictions that previously limited the adoption of telework.

Main Points

1. Benefits of Telework

• Telework can enhance autonomy, work-life balance, and productivity for workers.
• Employers can reduce office costs and attract talent from a broader market.
• Workers who occasionally telework often report better working conditions and improved health and well-being.

2. Pre-Pandemic Constraints on Telework

Three main constraints limited the adoption of telework:

• Job and task structures: Many tasks, especially those involving physical or social interaction, were not suitable for remote work.
• Infrastructure and technology: Access to high-speed internet, IT equipment, and digital collaboration tools was often lacking.
• Market failures in work organisation: Moral hazard concerns from employers and social isolation fears from employees led to suboptimal telework levels.

3. Moral Hazard and Productivity

• Employers were often skeptical of remote work due to trust issues and concerns about productivity.
• However, pre-pandemic evidence suggests that telework does not necessarily reduce productivity.
• The pandemic has shown that remote work is feasible and effective, and that these concerns are often unfounded.

4. Prisoner's Dilemma of Telework

• A prisoner's dilemma exists in the workplace where workers fear being left behind if they telework.
• This leads to suboptimal outcomes for all, as no one wants to be the only one working remotely.
• The pandemic has helped workers coordinate on a cooperative equilibrium, increasing the share of telework.

5. Lessons from the Pandemic

• The crisis has reduced information asymmetries between workers and employers.
• It has improved trust and highlighted the potential of hybrid models.
• The pre-pandemic level of telework was too low, and the pandemic level was too high, suggesting that the optimal level lies in between.
• Many workers prefer part-time remote work, not full-time.

6. Expected Hybrid Work Model

• The hybrid model allows for flexibility in both location and time.
• It should include:
  • Workspace flexibility: Defined limits on remote and on-site work, with possible international scope.
  • Work time flexibility: Flexibility in working hours, both during and outside office time.
  • Frameworks for tracking flexibility: Time-based metrics for remote and asynchronous work.
  • Provisions for remote work safety and health.
  • Work-life balance measures to prevent burnout and ensure personal time boundaries.

Key Information

• Teleworkability index (based on task content, methods, and tools) helps determine which jobs are suitable for remote work.
• Regional differences in telework adoption are significant, with some countries like the Netherlands and Sweden having much higher rates.
• Digital skills and self-management abilities are essential for successful telework.
• The Porto Declaration (May 2021) calls for attention to digitalisation, AI, telework, and the platform economy to reinforce workers' rights and occupational health and safety.
• The end of the pandemic presents an opportunity to institutionalise hybrid work and ensure fair treatment of all workers, regardless of location or mode of work.

Conclusion

The authors conclude that hybrid work models can become the norm, provided that organisational frictions are addressed. A new EU Framework Agreement on Hybrid Work is recommended to harmonise standards, ensure minimum protections, and foster geographic mobility. The successful implementation of hybrid models depends on collaboration between employers, employees, and governments, as well as investment in digital infrastructure and skills development.