Navigating Hybrid Social Work Post-COVID: Coping Strategies in Swedish Social Assistance

Summary: This study examines social workers’ coping strategies for managing tensions in hybrid social work while interacting with clients after the pandemic. Data were gathered through interviews with 26 social workers in social assistance within Swedish social services and analyzed using the theory of street-level bureaucracy and coping. Findings: Four coping strategies emerged: Two cognitive strategies involved modifying mindsets by (1) merging modalities and (2) maintaining distance in client interactions following a digital-material logic. Two behavioral strategies included (3) optimizing work for speed and efficiency and (4) digital rationing by reconfiguring digital tools to protect oneself and limit accessibility. These coping strategies are facilitating flexible and hybrid work, granting social workers greater autonomy, efficiency, and control. Paradoxically, these strategies indicate an increased tendency to avoid client interactions, often resulting in a walk-away approach. Applications: The findings suggest that social workers may become more ‘unsocial’ compared to traditional working methods. Therefore, navigating hybrid roles requires balancing digital and physical interactions while safeguarding relational practice with vulnerable clients. Organizations should develop clear policies for mandatory in-person meetings, ethical guidelines for channel use, and training that equips social workers to manage blurred boundaries and resist efficiency-driven practices that risk undermining core professional values.