{"id":173057,"date":"2024-11-06T13:24:05","date_gmt":"2024-11-06T12:24:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=173057"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:27:34","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:27:34","slug":"econometrics-staff-dissatisfied-with-flexible-workspaces","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2024\/11\/06\/econometrics-staff-dissatisfied-with-flexible-workspaces\/","title":{"rendered":"Econometrics staff dissatisfied with flexible workspaces"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many staff members in the Econometrics department are unhappy with <\/span>the flexible workspaces. Nearly half now work from home more often, <\/span>and they feel less productive. This result emerged from the evaluation <\/span>of a flexible working pilot programme.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

The E building in which the Economics faculty is located. <\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTessa Hofland<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Since October 2023, a pilot for flexible workspaces has been running in <\/span>the Erasmus School of Economics\u2019 Econometrics department. The <\/span>introduction of shared workspaces is necessary to continue <\/span>accommodating the growing department in the basement of the E-<\/span>building, explains director Dennis Fok. \u201cWe\u2019re aiming to find the best <\/span>solution within the space restrictions set by EUR\u201d, he says. Additionally, <\/span>the faculty will move to the Tinbergen building in a few years, which will <\/span>offer even less space than it currently has.<\/span><\/p>\n

Less productive and more working from home<\/h2>

The department has surveyed staff on how they experience the new <\/span>working conditions. Forty percent of respondents feel that flexible <\/span>working has had a negative impact on their productivity. Fewer <\/span>colleagues are present on campus and the need to set up a workspace <\/span>anew each day also contribute to this sentiment.<\/span><\/p>\n

Workspaces now need to be reserved, which staff find frustrating as well. <\/span>\u201c<\/span>Previously, I knew I could always go to the university and work there. <\/span>Now, even though there will always be an empty desk somewhere, this is <\/span>a situation with less certainty. Because of this, I don\u2019t think of the <\/span>university anymore as a place where I can always go. This is less <\/span>comfortable\u201d<\/span>, says one staff member in the evaluation.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Fok, the main challenge for staff is the need for more <\/span>planning. \u201cIt\u2019s difficult to hold ad-hoc online meetings when sharing an <\/span>office. People have to plan more to ensure, for instance, that a meeting <\/span>room is available. And that\u2019s burdensome.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

PhD candidates more positive<\/h2>

PhD candidates are generally more positive about the new arrangement <\/span>than the rest of the staff. \u201cFor them, not much has changed. They were <\/span>already sharing rooms with several people, and now they can book <\/span>meeting rooms more easily\u201d, Fok explains.<\/span><\/p>\n

The conclusion, Fok continues, is that the introduction of flexible <\/span>workspaces imposes significant costs on staff. \u201cIt seems as though these <\/span>costs weren\u2019t taken into account when the university decided that all <\/span>departments should adopt this way of working\u201d, he says.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\t\n\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Lees meer<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t