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Traces of Hybrid Working

Our exploration through the different perspectives on hybrid working starts with a walk through the office. In our first stop, we see two pictures taken by the researchers during their workplace observations. We encourage you to contemplate presence within absence as you gaze upon these snapshots. What can you (not) see?

From words…

The first picture in this section presents an office marked by absence: the desk is clean and organized, and the chair is neatly placed. Yet there is a signal to colleagues who are expected to be present - the sign explaining the employee’s absence. It is no longer clear where one’s presence matters. When meetings are mostly online, does it make a difference where the physical body is located?

Photo Creditis: Traces of Hybrid Working 1 © 2023 by Hybrid Working Project VU Amsterdam is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.  To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

Note that we intentionally don’t show people in this image.

Perspectives on Hybrid Exhibition

Discover the changing landscape of what, why, when, where, and how we work

Traces

Traces

“And I just say: what's the benefit of me coming to the office? Because it's not obviously apparent to me anymore. It's not obviously apparent what the objective or the benefit of me being in the office is. If you want to have a team meeting, that's fine. But then if I had a team meeting and went home, would that change things?”

… To mugs

The second picture in our section portrays a common situation in shared offices: the mess after the play. In hybrid working scenarios, it is not different. The picture highlights the continuity of the social gatherings and shows how people go to the office for informal talks around the coffee machine. This is interesting because several studies indicate that remote and hybrid work leads to loneliness and isolation. These traces of hybrid working also point to sources of conflicts, as a few people may not enjoy the mess while others only focus on the play.

Photo Credits: Traces of Hybrid Working 2 © 2023 by Hybrid Working Project VU Amsterdam is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

Note that we intentionally don’t show people in this image.

And more Traces

And more Traces

“Walking through the buildings, we saw people meeting and talking during their breaks. Afterwards, we could also see the traces of such gatherings. Almost every kitchen area had print notes comprising the rules for using a shared space. Almost every kitchen we passed by had some trace of presence, even when people were absent.” Memo - Research Team

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