TY - GEN
T1 - Paradigm Shift of Work and the Workplace amid the Pandemic
T2 - 8th Zero Energy Mass Custom Home International Conference, ZEMCH 2021
AU - Neyadi, Mouza A.L.
AU - Aoul, Kheira Anissa Tabet
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 by the authors. Submitted for possible open access publication under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - The conventional and long-established workplace, with its working modalities may be drastically challenged, more than any other building type, following the disruptive and instant changes imposed by the recent global pandemic. The subsequent measures taken resulted in a complete disruption to the office employee experience. All indicators show that the pandemic is likely to change or accelerate the new working models, but it may also inspire technological advances related to the health and satisfaction of building occupants. This research aims to explore and identify the impacts of the pandemic on the workplace with a focus on the users' concerns, experiences, satisfaction, and expectations. The main purpose is to investigate how the pandemic may be shifting the working model and what may be its implications on workplace design. A survey was designed to explore three main aspects. First, the employees' concerns and fears about returning to the workplace, second, the impact of the pandemic on the work model, and third, the participants' expectations for the future of office design and layout. The survey was carried in November 2020 with 68 employees of a UAE government ministry in Abu Dhabi. The results showed that the main concerns of the participants were related to the health implications on their families and themselves. Over half of the survey respondents preferred a mixed working mode (57%), or even working fully from home (26%). The respondents indicated that they remained more or equally productive while working from home. Interaction and socializing with peers were the most missed workplace activities. In terms of office layout, an increased distance between workstations was preferred by over 57%, while 38% favored work in individual offices. The outcomes indicate a critical need to revise the current work models and explore the possible shift to a hybrid home-office work that ultimately will incite drawing new guidelines for office design.
AB - The conventional and long-established workplace, with its working modalities may be drastically challenged, more than any other building type, following the disruptive and instant changes imposed by the recent global pandemic. The subsequent measures taken resulted in a complete disruption to the office employee experience. All indicators show that the pandemic is likely to change or accelerate the new working models, but it may also inspire technological advances related to the health and satisfaction of building occupants. This research aims to explore and identify the impacts of the pandemic on the workplace with a focus on the users' concerns, experiences, satisfaction, and expectations. The main purpose is to investigate how the pandemic may be shifting the working model and what may be its implications on workplace design. A survey was designed to explore three main aspects. First, the employees' concerns and fears about returning to the workplace, second, the impact of the pandemic on the work model, and third, the participants' expectations for the future of office design and layout. The survey was carried in November 2020 with 68 employees of a UAE government ministry in Abu Dhabi. The results showed that the main concerns of the participants were related to the health implications on their families and themselves. Over half of the survey respondents preferred a mixed working mode (57%), or even working fully from home (26%). The respondents indicated that they remained more or equally productive while working from home. Interaction and socializing with peers were the most missed workplace activities. In terms of office layout, an increased distance between workstations was preferred by over 57%, while 38% favored work in individual offices. The outcomes indicate a critical need to revise the current work models and explore the possible shift to a hybrid home-office work that ultimately will incite drawing new guidelines for office design.
KW - Concerns
KW - Employee
KW - Office
KW - Pandemic
KW - UAE
KW - User satisfaction
KW - Work model
KW - Workplace
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85125767959&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85125767959&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:85125767959
T3 - ZEMCH International Conference
SP - 647
EP - 661
BT - ZEMCH 2021 - 8th Zero Energy Mass Custom Home International Conference, Proceedings
A2 - Tabet Aoul, Kheira Anissa
A2 - Shafiq, Mohammed Tariq
A2 - Attoye, Daniel Efurosibina
PB - ZEMCH Network
Y2 - 26 October 2021 through 28 October 2021
ER -
