Many people have been working in home offices since the beginning of the pandemic. This can be a blessing and a curse at the same time. Prof. Dr. Nada Endrissat talks about the dos and don’ts in the 4th episode of the BFH Wirtschaft podcast “Lets Talk Business”. At the New Work Institute, she investigates the work of the future and the areas of tension in the technologised world of work – between exhaustion and productivity. In the latest episode, she also gives practical tips on what matters when working at home and for whom an office in the countryside would be favourable

Studies show, among other things, that higher productivity in the home office is usually achieved through more screen time. Other studies showed that video conferences increase exhaustion, especially among women, because in addition to the subject matter, they also have to deal with the reactions of the participants and their self-image. The New Work expert sums up that what is needed out of the digital permanent presence is a counterbalance: more time for so-called deep work, i.e. concentrated, undisturbed work, because “when we are ‘always on’, we are constantly interrupted.” In the meantime, there is a countermovement to digital exhaustion. In addition to offline camps, there are also apps to limit online time. Overall, Endrissat says, smart technology still too often leads us to work harder. She encourages digital disenchantment and more presence in the shared experience. Her improvement measures – personal: turn off push messages and otherwise:

1. agree with HR policies where binding rules such as time limits protect employees
2. Organisations to rethink the productivity imperative and think more holistically
3. develop a less formal team culture
4. consider the individual level, key point self-management.

Hear more about shaping the new worlds of work in the latest episode of the BFH Business podcast “Let’s Talk Business”.

All episodes of Let’s Talk Business can be found on the BFH Business website and also on Spotify, Deezer and Google Podcast.