The New Normal: Working Time Dynamics During the Pandemic in A Multinational Organization

The pandemic has forced many white-collar workers to switch to remote working and considerably impacted on working times and the coordination of teamwork, yet the extent of this change is not well understood. This paper contributes to the literature on working time and its perception by managers occupying top-tier jobs by examining the consequences of widespread implementation of flexible working arrangements within large and complex corporate entities. To this end, we developed an exploratory case study based on a set of interviews conducted with key informants working in a large, global, service provider. Responses were analyzed thematically to extract insights and perceptions. The results showed a substantial increase in both working hours and intensity associated with an unprecedented level of autonomy which paradoxically eroded the boundaries of working and leisure times, impacting on the quality of both working life and work-life balance.