In-person Work Research Articles

Play Your Way Into Production: Game-based Skills Development for the Screen Industries

Screen industry employers report they are unable to recruit graduates with the right skills for entry level roles in film and television (e.g. runners or production assistants), citing a lack of business awareness and various ‘soft skills’ as barriers to employment (Grugulis and Vincent 2009; Carey et al, 2017; Jones, Swords and Brereton, 2022). Traditionally such knowledge and skills are obtained through in-person work experience on set, but work experience is usually unpaid and therefore inaccessible to many students and graduates. However, research in the use of applied/serious games and extended reality technologies for training purposes has indicated that situational skills training can be facilitated using these approaches (Ebner and Holzinger 2007; Connolly et al, 2012). This paper presents an analysis of the design process behind a game-based learning intervention, developed to enable players to experience a day working on a film set and to allow educators to open up discussions about working practices and employability/progression within the screen industry. The simulation gives players the opportunity to take on a junior role in a film studio, respond to typical requests on set, interact with other crew members and observe proceedings. The study draws on interviews with educators and an ethnographic account of playing the game and using the complementary educational resources. We argue that a serious game can function as a meaningful intervention allowing potential new entrants to the screen industry to understand the tasks and duties of job roles in the industry. This approach also improves access to the development of skills and knowledge which are traditionally gained through (unpaid) work experience.

HOME OFFICE: IMPACTOS E OPORTUNIDADES DEVIDO A COVID 19

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a significant transformation to the workplace, highlighting home office as a crucial solution for maintaining business operations. Remote work quickly emerged as a necessary response to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, allowing companies to sustain productivity while ensuring employee safety. However, the transition to home office was not without challenges, including issues related to technological infrastructure, information security, and remote team management. Despite these challenges, home office has proven to be an opportunity to rethink work models, bringing benefits such as reduced operational costs and increased flexibility for employees. Companies have come to realize that implementing remote work policies can improve work-life balance and enhance employee satisfaction and retention. Additionally, the experience gained during the pandemic is shaping the future of work, with emerging trends towards hybrid and flexible models that combine the best of remote and in-person work. The future of home office appears promising, with new opportunities for innovation, efficiency, and the development of more adaptive and inclusive work practices.

Choosing where to work: an empirical study of collaborative activities’ impact on workspace choice behavior

Purpose In today’s rapidly evolving work landscape, the design of office spaces is a crucial concern for organizations. Companies are redefining offices as collaboration hubs to entice employees back to in-person work. However, the understanding of how employees choose their workspaces, especially for collaborative activities, and how this should inform office design is lacking. Workers’ collaborative activity patterns can help better understand workspace choice behavior (WCB). In two studies, this paper aims to explore which characteristics of collaborative activities to consider when reshaping offices. Design/methodology/approach Data collected in a cross-sectional study design at a research institution (n = 285) and a university (n = 352) were used for confirmatory factor analyses and regression analysis. Findings The first study shows that collaborative activities can be classified into three distinct types: coordinative activities (planned and formal), deep collaboration (planned and complex) and spontaneous communication (informal and short encounters). The second study revalidates this classification and reveals patterns impacting WCB. Frequency and location preference of spontaneous communication and work environment satisfaction are strong predictors of on-site work. Personal characteristics like gender, age, managerial position or commute time are less consequential than assumed. Practical implications The results pinpoint guidelines for office designers and leaders in shaping effective workspaces and policies. Originality/value This paper provides new insights into classifying collaborative activities and personal characteristics, activity characteristics and environmental factors influencing WCB.

Characteristics of Global Rapid Response Team Deployers and Deployment, United States, 2019-2022.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Global Rapid Response Team (GRRT) was created in 2015 to efficiently deploy multidisciplinary CDC experts outside the United States for public health emergencies. The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically increased the need for domestic public health responders. This study aimed to follow up on previously published data to describe the GRRT surge staffing model during the height of the COVID-19 response. We conducted descriptive analyses to assess GRRT deployment characteristics during April 1, 2019-March 31, 2022, and characteristics of responders rostered in 2021 and 2022. We analyzed data on response events, remote versus in-person work, and international versus domestic deployment location. We also examined the number of responders on call per month, language proficiency, and technical skills. During the study period, 1725 deployments were registered, accounting for 82 058 person-days deployed. Of all person-days deployed during the study period, 82% were related to COVID-19. Eighty-seven percent of all person-days deployed were domestic. Virtual deployments that were not in person accounted for 51% of deployments registered, yet these resulted in 67% of person-days deployed. The median deployment duration was 31 days. We found a median of 79 surge responders on call each month. Among 608 responders rostered in 2021 and 2022, 35% self-reported proficiency in a second language. Epidemiology was the most common technical skill (38%). GRRT transitioned to primarily remote, domestic deployments to support the COVID-19 pandemic response. The GRRT model demonstrates how response structure shifted to address the global health threat of a pandemic.

Home office and the Work Environment of Public Servers

Introduction: This article aimed to identify and analyze the changes that occurred due to the implementation of home office, as a result of Covid-19, in the work environment of technical-administrative employees at federal universities. The research used a qualitative and descriptive approach. The results showed that employees prefer to continue working from home, with the hybrid model or partial teleworking being preferred. The main advantages were autonomy and greater flexibility of schedules; increased productivity; less bureaucracy and family coexistence. And the main disadvantages were adequacy of the work space; leadership difficulties and feelings of isolation. Objective: The objective of the research, which is exploratory in nature, is to analyze the changes that the home office brought to the work environment of technical-administrative employees at a federal university. Theoretical Framework: The theoretical framework is divided into two main parts. The first part deals with home office research, which conceptually underlies this research. The second part explores the home office in more detail in the context of Brazilian public administration. Method: The qualitative methodology was adopted for this research, through semi-structured interviews with 18 administrative technical employees from the Federal University in São Paulo (UF). The Atlas TI 23 was used for content analysis. The research was authorized and approved by the Research Ethics committee at the institution involved. Results and Discussion: The results showed a preference for the home office model, especially the hybrid or partial model (with in-person work once or twice a week). Also, it was found that the performance of the servers was influenced by the implementation of the home office, in their perception, with the majority reporting difficulties in adapting in the first months and, currently, they consider that their productivity has returned to the same standards, or improved, compared to when the activities were only in person. Research Implications: It is considered that this study can serve as a reference for other public universities, as well as for federal institutes, as both enjoy the same managerial and administrative autonomy, constitutionally guaranteed; and the respective employees are under the same legal employment regime at the federal level. Originality/Value: The relevance and value of this research are evidenced by [explain how the results may impact the area of study or professional practice]. It is considered that this study can serve as a reference for other public universities, as well as for federal institutes, as both enjoy the same managerial and administrative autonomy, constitutionally guaranteed; and the respective employees are under the same legal employment regime at the federal level.

Perspectives of the Technological Pedagogical Environment and Teaching Adaptation in Times of Pandemic in Ecuador. Retrospective Study

The purpose of this research is to know the perspectives of the technological pedagogical environment and teaching adaptation in times of pandemic in Ecuador regarding online education within the framework of the health emergency within Ecuadorian middle-level institutions; since, current education represents a methodological challenge characterized by digital tools during teaching, and processes that have abruptly modified the space and forms of teaching. Therefore, the retrospective level study assisted by case study methodology used as data collection techniques, questionnaires applied to the selected sample, made up of volunteer high school teachers, whose responses were stored through the Google Forms platform, in categories that detected quantitative and qualitative perception indicators. In this sense, teachers consider that, in this modality, the workload entails greater dedication time and the speed of content advancement is affected by the short synchronous interaction times. Consequently, teacher perception indicates a drastic change and little flexibility for the development of their digital skills or accessibility to resources that provide an adequate space for virtual education, thus highlighting their preference for in-person work.

Redefining Office Interactions for a Thriving Employee Experience

While much of the current debate focuses on the hybrid work model, little attention has been given to what type of work tasks and dynamics companies should outline when employees are called to work in the office space. Designing meaningful face-to-face encounters becomes essential to engage employees and make in-person work more meaningful and effective for both parties. Thus, the paper explores how companies can engage employees in the post-pandemic changing office space environment. Building on theories of employee socialization and employee experience co-design, it identifies gaps and opportunities for developing meaningful encounters in the office space and cultivating a positive work culture. A case study was conducted in an aerospace engineering company with a hybrid working model to provide practical insights. The study employed an exploratory research design, incorporating qualitative methods such as in-depth interviews, observations, and a co-design session with employees. Content analysis was used to categorize areas of employee experience in the office space that needed to be redesigned positively. The results of the study confirm that the co-design of socialization, adding creativity, and fostering serendipitous encounters in the workspace improves the employee experience, strengthening the ties with the company, connecting with their colleagues, and helping in the well-being and sense of belonging. This translates into positive gains for the organization that wants to define a hybrid work model, giving flexibility to employees without losing the human bond that the face-to-face visit to the workplace provides through meaningful experiences. Involving employees in the collaborative process of redesigning socialization and interaction practices, organizations are committed to valuing individual perspectives and needs, resulting in a more relevant and satisfying employee experience.

Home Sweet Home? The Mediating Role of Human Resource Management Practices in the Relationship between Leadership and Quality of Life in Teleworking in the Public Sector

Remote work in pandemic times has become a strategic alternative for organizations and has persisted in the post-pandemic context, remaining present in hybrid models of work arrangements, blending in-person work and telework. Thus, this paper proposes a model to identify the relationships between leadership, human resource management (HRM) practices, and quality of life in teleworking (QoLT) for civil servants. For this purpose, a structural model was tested in which HRM practices mediated the relationship between leadership and QoLT. The relationships assumed in the analysis of the tested mediation model were significant, confirming all four hypotheses researched. The novelty of the tested mediation model is the greatest contribution of this work, demonstrating the crucial role that HRM practices play in the relationship between leadership and QoLT. As practical implications, this research has yielded a diagnosis, allowing for a better understanding for public managers of how leadership and HRM practices are related and how they influence quality of life in the challenging context of teleworking. The findings suggest that leadership has a strong impact on HRM practices, highlighting the crucial role of leadership in shaping teleworkers’ perceptions of HRM practices. Additionally, leadership significantly influences the quality of life in telework, amplifying this impact through the perception of HRM practices. Therefore, leaders should be attentive to how relationship-building, training and development, and performance and competency evaluation in HRM practices are implemented and executed, as they profoundly influence the promotion of quality of life, considering the complex and challenging environment of telework, including workload, social distance, and work–family conflict.

The interplay between teleworking choice and commute distance

In this study, we model the telework-commute distance decision process as a package choice, and use a latent segmentation approach to recognize that some individuals may choose their telework arrangement first and then choose their commute distance (their residential location), while others may adopt a reverse causal behavioral process. The latent segment modeling methodology combines a multiple discrete–continuous probit model for telework adoption/intensity as the proportion of monthly workdays worked from home, from the office, and from a variable third workplace, with a log-linear regression model for commute distance (the home-to-office distance). The data for our analysis is drawn from a 2022 survey of Texas residents. Results suggest that about 20% of the population are likely “movers”, whose telework choices led to a residential move that changed commute distance, while the other 80% are “stayers”, whose commute distance at their predetermined (to telework) residential location changed telework habits. We further quantify the impact of teleworking on commute distances by computing the expected commute distance for several telework distribution preferences. A shift from 100% in-person work to 100% home-based remote work increases average commute distance by 64.8%, while working from a third workplace for any portion of a month reduces commute lengths relative to only home-based telework. In terms of monthly commute vehicle miles traveled (VMT), working from home for less than 18.6% of the month (about once a week) per worker actually increases overall monthly commute VMT. Monthly commute VMT reductions become tangible only at about 30–40% telework for each worker (about two days of telework per week for full-time workers with 22 workdays per month). In general, between 0 and 40% home-based telework per worker (with the remaining percentage at the office), there is a 10% commute VMT reduction for each 10% increase in home-based telework. In the range of 40% to 80% home-based telework, there is about a 13% commute VMT reduction for every 10% increase in home-based telework. And in the range of 80%-100% home-based telework reduction, there is about a 15% commute VMT reduction for every 10% increase in home-based telework.

Investigating the managerial effects of workcations (work(plus)vacations) on digital nomad employees: Workcation satisfaction, work engagement, innovation behavior, intention to stay, and revisit intention

Despite the widespread adoption of workcations (work+vacations) in corporations, their managerial value in the post-pandemic era is questionable owing to the increasing shift toward in-person work by many companies. This research note explored the managerial effects of workcations from the perspectives of employees who have experienced them. In Study 1, we qualitatively identified the positive and negative effects of workcations, including increased levels of work engagement, enhanced innovation in tasks, and heightened security concerns. Building on the positive outcomes identified, for Study 2, we developed and tested a research model to reveal that workcation satisfaction improves work engagement, leading to increased intention to stay with the organization, innovative behaviors among employees, and a desire to engage in future workcation.

A Study on Impact of Hybrid Work on Employee Productivity in Select IT Organizations of NCR

A hybrid work is a combination of both remote and in-person work, where employees can work from the office, home, or other locations. This type of work design has become more and more popular in recent years due to advances in technology and changing work preferences. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of hybrid work on employee productivity in select IT organizations of the National Capital Region (NCR). The employees of select IT companies in the NCR who have experienced a shift to a hybrid work will be the focus of the study. Through surveys and interviews with employees and managers, the study will gather data. The studies will gather information on representative efficiency, work fulfilment, balance between serious and fun activities, and other important elements. Keywords: Employee Productivity, Hybrid Work, NCR, Delhi. Research Type: Research Paper

Change in work arrangement during the COVID-19 pandemic: A large shift to remote and hybrid work

With two repeated cross-sectional datasets collected in Southern California, we investigate changes in work arrangement and commute trip generation across four timepoints before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: fall 2019 (recalled in fall 2020 retrospectively); fall 2020 and summer 2021 (reported at the moment); and summer 2022 (an expectation as of summer 2021 for a near future prospectively). Our results highlight a large shift from physical commutes to exclusively/predominantly remote work for many workers in fall 2020, followed by a transition towards hybrid work (combining in-person work and remote work) in summer 2021. The adoption of remote/hybrid work varied considerably across different types of workers and sociodemographic groups, prominently driven by high-income earners, highly educated individuals, urban residents, full-time workers, and those with white-collar, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), and government jobs. As the pandemic subsides, many workers have returned to physical commutes for some of their workdays, but the prevalence of remote/hybrid work is expected to endure into the future. These findings confirm oft-discussed trends and anecdotal evidence in the study region. However, the study provides rigorous quantitative evidence into reasons behind these observations and heterogeneity across groups. We also suggest forward-looking policies to promote transportation equity, reimagine transportation options, and support public transit to adapt to the evolving travel patterns in the post-pandemic society.

Retaining the transportation benefits of COVID-19 induced work from home: Understanding the role of worker productivity

The abrupt switch to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic has not only altered people’s commutes but also changed their entire work-life balance. While some workers were quick to adapt and maintain or even increase productivity, others experienced a decrease in productivity. Self-assessed productivity changes after switching from traditional in-person work to work from home is studied using a survey of 3,780 workers (including full-time college students). A probabilistic statistical model is used to estimate the probabilities that workers’ self-reported productivity during the pandemic remained the same, decreased, in some ways increased and in other ways decreased, or increased. The model estimation results identify workers who were resilient and adaptable (having a higher probability of increasing their productivity) and those less adaptive workers, who were more likely to experience a decrease in productivity. It was found that race, ethnicity, household income, household size, education, gender, the presence of children in the household, level of life satisfaction, being a student, prior experience with online meetings, and commute distances all play a role in how the workers’ productivity changed. This study provides insights for the development of effective policies to improve equity (by targeting vulnerable populations) and sustainability (by retaining the transportation and environmental benefits of telework) in the post COVID-19 reality.

Property, Materiality, Proximity: The Analytic Frame and In-Person Work.

In-person meeting offers psychologically usable material-signifiers that serve as day's residue-that cannot be duplicated or substituted for in remote ways of working. Questions of materiality, the history and specificity of location, and bodily proximity all are key aspects of the psychoanalytic frame, as Bleger's classic formulations attest. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the choreography of engagement between analyst and patient: the ghostly dust in the frame enters the room. As Bleger says, with ghosts so rustled, nonprocess has a chance to become process. Two clinical examples highlight these points about materiality and in-person working. The final section of the paper extends Bleger's description to tackle the perplexing situation of patients who hesitate to return to the office. Issues of "ghosting," vanishing, disappearing are discussed, and linked to the constitutive absence that grounds any meaningfully structured presence. This constitutive absence is evoked by the prospect of the return to in-person analytic work. A final clinical example is used to illustrate this disturbing and irreducible fact about human interaction when two bodies are together in a room to discuss, over time, the life of one of the participants.

A Qualitative Exploration of Shifts to Community Supervision Work During the COVID-19 Pandemic

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, community supervision agencies were forced to incorporate drastic changes to traditional supervision techniques, which shifted the daily roles of probation officers (POs). Research on the pandemic identifies rapid adaptations to supervision strategies and increased demands on POs during the pandemic. Using qualitative data from interviews with POs across the United States, the goal of this study was to examine the experiences of POs working during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results suggest POs had to alter their supervision approach, both physically and ideologically. POs discussed shifts to both remote supervision in place of in-person work coupled with a need to use an “agent of change” approach given limited access to formal, punitive responses to noncompliance, with a priority on the highest risk/need clients. Findings suggest several implications for practice, including factors to consider regarding community correction reform efforts in a post-pandemic world.

Experiences, Benefits, and Challenges of Virtual Teamwork for Public Libraries in the US Midwest during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Experiences, Benefits, and Challenges of Virtual Teamwork for Public Libraries in the US Midwest during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Examining the Relationship Between Workplace Industry and COVID-19 Infection: A Cross-sectional Study of Canada's Largest Rapid Antigen Screening Program.

To control virus spread while keeping the economy open, this study aimed to identify individuals at increased risk of COVID-19 transmission in the workplace using rapid antigen screening data. Among adult participants in a large Canadian rapid antigen screening program (January 2021-March 2022), we examined screening, personal, and workplace characteristics and conducted logistic regressions, adjusted for COVID-19 wave, screening frequency and location, role, age group, and geography. Among 145,814 participants across 2707 worksites, 6209 screened positive at least once. Workers in natural resources (odds ratio [OR] = 2.1 [1.73-2.55]), utilities (OR = 1.67 [1.38-2.03]), construction (OR = 1.35 [1.06-1.71]), and transportation/warehousing (OR = 1.32 [1.12-1.56]) had increased odds of screening positive; workers in education/health (OR = 0.62 [0.52-0.73]), leisure/hospitality (OR = 0.71 [0.56-0.90]), and finance (OR = 0.84 [0.71-0.99]) had lesser odds of screening positive, compared with professional/business services. Certain industries involving in-person work in close quarters are associated with elevated COVID-19 transmission. Continued reliance on rapid screening in these sectors is warranted.

Digital literacy, the use of collaborative technologies, and perceived social proximity in a hybrid work environment: Technology as a social binder

The post-pandemic era is paving the way for the sustainable implementation of a new way of working that combines remote and in-person work, called hybrid work, which is enabled by Information and Communication Technologies, or ICTs. The use of these technologies in a hybrid work environment increases the importance of digital literacy in maintaining communication and social interactions. This paper aims to examine the role of digital literacy (and particularly the technical, cognitive, and socio-emotional dimensions) in the use of collaborative technologies, as well as the effect of the use of these technologies on perceived social proximity in a hybrid work environment. Data were collected from 5141 public service workers in 2023. The hypotheses were tested using structural equation modelling. The technical dimension of digital literacy is associated with the use of collaborative technologies, though the cognitive and socio-emotional dimensions are not. The use of collaborative technologies is associated with perceived social proximity. The study's findings highlight the importance of technical digital literacy, as well as the positive effect of the use of collaborative technologies on perceived social proximity in the hybrid work environment.

Perceptions of Adults With Hearing Loss About the Communication Difficulties Generated by the COVID-19 Preventive Measures: A Qualitative Study.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to the implementation of preventive measures that exacerbated communication difficulties for individuals with hearing loss. This study aims to explore the perception of adults with hearing loss about the communication difficulties caused by the preventive measures and about their experiences with communication 1 year after the adoption of these preventive measures. Individual semistructured interviews were conducted via videoconference with six adults who have hearing loss from the province of Québec, Canada. Data were examined using qualitative content analysis. The study found that face masks and in-person work (i.e., in opposition to remote work) were important barriers to communication because of hindered lipreading and competing noise in many workplaces. In contrast, preventive measures that allowed visual information transmission (e.g., transparent face masks, fixed plastic partitions) were considered favorable for communication. Communication partners were perceived as playing an important role in communication success with preventive measures: Familiar communication partners improved communication, whereas those with poor attitude or strategies hindered communication. Participants found that videoconferences could provide satisfactory communication but were sometimes hindered by issues such as bad audiovisual quality or too many participants. This study identified reduced access to speech reading and lack of general awareness about hearing issues as key barriers to communication during the pandemic. The decreased communication capabilities were perceived to be most problematic at work and during health appointments, and tended to cause frustration, anxiety, self-esteem issues, and social isolation. Suggestions are outlined for current and future public health measures to better consider the experience of people with hearing loss.

Opinions on Remote and in-Person Breast Imaging Work: Survey Results from the Society of Breast Imaging.

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic accelerated trends in remote radiology work. We evaluated the opinions of Society of Breast Imaging (SBI) members regarding remote and in-person breast imaging work. An institutional review board-exempt anonymous survey was distributed to SBI members. Survey questions included demographics and opinions on remote and in-person work. The response rate was 12% (307/2561). Overall, 79% of respondents preferred hybrid work, 16% preferred in-person work, and 5% preferred fully remote work. Only 34% of respondents had remote work in current practice. Screening mammograms (97%) and breast MRI (92%) were deemed most suitable for remote work. Most respondents believed barriers for remote work were inability to perform US (80%) and high monitor price (78%). Seventy-six percent of respondents believed remote work improves work-life balance and reduces burnout. Work model preferences were significantly associated with gender (P = .048) and perceived work-related impacts (P <.001). Women were more likely to prefer hybrid work than men (82% vs 73%). Compared to those who preferred in-person work, respondents who preferred hybrid work were more likely to believe remote work improves efficiency (89% vs 3%) and reduces burnout (88% vs 6%) while not negatively affecting career growth (88% vs 3%) or communication (87% vs 4%). Hybrid work is the preferred model among SBI survey respondents. However, a minority have the option for remote work in current practice. Perceived benefits of remote work are efficiency and reduced burnout among breast imaging radiologists while not negatively affecting career growth or communication.