The Institute of the Information Society cordially invites you to the International Conference:
Hybrid Work: Rethinking Workplace Dynamics in the Post-Pandemic Era
DATE: 26 November 2025.
VENUE: Ludovika University of Public Service, Side Building, John Lukacs Lounge, 1083 Budapest, 1 Ludovika Square and online (MS Teams)
Looking forward to your kind participation!
The event is in English without interpretations. Participation only by registration before 25th November.
Registration: https://ludevent.uni-nke.hu/event/5648/
The link to the broadcast will be send to the registrants.
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AGENDA
Morning Session – Concepts, Regulations & Challenges
Chair: Dr. József Pap (Nokia Logistics CEO)
8:45 – 9:00 Welcome – Dr. Bernát Török
9:00 – 9:25 Dr. Katalin Tardos – Teleworking: A New Form of Employee Empowerment or Self-exploitation? – A Hungarian Case Study
9:25 – 9:50 Prof. António B. Moniz & Dr. Nuno Boavida – Struggles for Hybrid Work Regulation in Portugal: the case of teleworking
9:50 – 10:15 Prof. Pablo Sanz de Miguel – Varieties of Telework Regimes across European Regions: A Tale of Four Different Worlds
10:15 – 10:40 Dr. Michal Beno – The Evolution of Work in Central Europe: Insights into Remote and Hybrid Work Practices in Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia
10:40 – 11:05 Dr. Tamás Forgács – Work and Productivity: Concepts and Objective Measurement
11:05 – 11:30 Q&A and Summary
11:30 – 11:50 Coffee Break
Afternoon Session – Practices, Experiences & Impacts
Chair: Prof. Zsolt Ződi (NKE)
11:50 – 12:15 Dr. Suvi Hirvonen – Workspaces in Hybrid Work: The Office as a Functional, Social and Cultural Space
12:15 – 12:40 Merja Ranta-aho – Experiences of Building Collaboration, Belonging and Wellbeing in the Hybrid Work Era
12:40 – 13:40 Lunch Break
13:40 – 14:05 Kaire Piirsalu-Kivihall – Can Forcing a Return to the Office Harm Well-being, Employee Retention, and Person-Organization Fit?
14:05 – 14:30 Gyöngyi Tóthné-Harasztovics – Working in the Office, From Home or Abroad: Possibilities and Challenges at Deutsche Telekom IT Solutions
14:30 – 14:55 Dr. Sipos Norbert & Dr. Venczel-Szakó Tímea – Home Office and Employee Satisfaction During and After COVID-19
14:55 – 15:20 Csaba Makó, Miklós Illéssy & Ákos Huszár – Hybrid Work in the Public vs. Private Sectors: Impact and Challenges (Experience of Pilot Study)
15:20 – 15:45 Q&A and Summary
15:45 – 16:00 Concluding Remarks – Prof. Csaba Makó
Join us for a day of insights and dialogue on the future of hybrid work.
Participation is open to scholars, professionals, and policy-makers interested in the evolving landscape of digital and hybrid work.
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ABSTRACTS
Teleworking: A New Form of Employee Empowerment or Self-exploitation? – A Hungarian Case Study
Katalin Tardos, Senior Researcher, ELTE HUN-REN, Budapest, Hungary
Abstract
This study explores teleworking in Hungary after COVID-19 through management, employee, and trade union perspectives. Using European project data and a company case study, it examines legal frameworks, workplace practices, and social dialogue. The pandemic accelerated telework, boosting productivity and autonomy but also creating isolation, blurred boundaries, and unequal cost-sharing. Trade unions played a limited role, with collective agreements rarely covering telework. Hybrid models are preferred, yet tensions remain between teleworkable and non-teleworkable jobs. Recommendations include revising contracts, formalising the right to disconnect, and reducing working hours to balance equity and sustain productivity.
Keywords: telework, Hungary, hybrid work, employee autonomy, work-life balance, trade unions
Struggles for Hybrid Work Regulation in Portugal: the case of teleworking
António B. Moniz & Nuno Boavida, Nova University of Lisbon, CICS.NOVA, Portugal
Abstract
This paper analyses the struggles over hybrid work regulation in Portugal, focusing on the contested governance of telework. Since the 1990s, neoliberal reforms and Troika-driven austerity have weakened trade unions and fragmented employers’ associations. The Covid-19 pandemic triggered a sudden telework expansion, exposing divisions within unions (CGTP vs. UGT) and leading to limited statutory regulation, notably the 2022 telework subsidies law. While employers benefited from tax incentives, collective bargaining remained marginal. The new conservative-liberal government is expected to further entrench company-driven hybrid work with minimal worker participation.
Keywords: hybrid work, telework, Portugal, trade unions, employers’ associations, collective bargaining, labour regulation
Varieties of Telework Regimes across European Regions: A Tale of Four Different Worlds
Pablo J. Sanz Miguel, University of Zaragoza, Spain
Abstract
Telework has expanded significantly in Europe since the COVID-19 pandemic, yet cross-country differences remain substantial. This paper explores the diversity of telework regimes across European regions by analysing environmental factors, workplace practices, and regulatory frameworks that shape flexible work arrangements. Drawing on comparative institutionalist perspectives, we conceptualise telework regimes as constellations of rules and practices influencing employer and employee choices. Using novel indicators, we conduct principal component and cluster analyses to identify empirically grounded groups of countries. Findings confirm certain established industrial relations typologies but also reveal new divisions, highlighting distinct telework regimes that extend beyond traditional working time and employment relations frameworks.
Keywords: telework, flexible work, comparative employment relations, institutional analysis, Europe, cluster analysis, COVID-19
The Evolution of Work in Central Europe: Insights into Remote and Hybrid Work Practices in Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia
Michal Beno, Centre for International Programs, Newton University, Prague, Czech Republic
Abstract
Hybrid and remote work are reshaping workplaces in Central Europe, accelerated by digitalization and the COVID-19 pandemic. By 2035, outcomes may range from equitable adoption to deepened disparities. Benefits include productivity gains, flexibility, and better work-life balance, while challenges involve isolation, weakened cohesion, and gender gaps. Austria shows structured hybrid models, while Czechia and Slovakia reveal greater variability. Success requires inclusive practices, strong management, digital infrastructure, and policies that foster equity and sustainability.
Keywords: hybrid work, e-work, workplace flexibility, employee well-being, Central Europe, gender disparities, future of work
Work and Productivity: Concepts and Objective Measurement
Dr. Tamás Forgács, President of the Hungarian Telework Association
Abstract
The key advantage of telework lies in restoring individual autonomy over both location and scheduling. As remote and hybrid forms of work expand, the need for objective measurement of work content becomes increasingly significant—encompassing both qualitative and quantitative dimensions. Legal and organizational frameworks are shifting from the traditional focus on predefined working hours towards the evaluation of actual outputs and measurable performance indicators. Work is no longer confined to fixed temporal boundaries but instead consists of discrete, often fragmented, activity patterns. The growing overlap between personal and professional use of digital tools highlights the necessity of assessing not only the duration of work but also its substantive content. Emerging productivity measurement technologies enable the automated detection and classification of work activities, distinguishing between private and professional domains. These tools generate valuable data to support evidence-based management decisions, enhance employee well-being, and deepen understanding of evolving work processes in the digital era.
Keywords: telework, productivity measurement, algorithmic management, digital work, remote work, performance evaluation, work autonomy
Workspaces in Hybrid Work: The Office as a Functional, Social and Cultural Space
Dr. Suvi Hirvonen, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic led to a widespread shift to remote work. Now hybrid work has become the norm for many in Finland. In a hybrid model, the office is still crucial for supporting the organisation’s ways of working. Well-designed spaces enhance productivity and well-being by enabling smooth work and communication and by making onsite work appealing. In hybrid work, designing the premises requires understanding hybrid work's nature, its functional needs, and employees' personal needs. This presentation focuses on the office's three key functions: functional, social, and cultural. The challenge in designing premises for hybrid work lies in supporting all three as well as possible.
Keywords: hybrid work, workspace, office design, wellbeing, employee experience, Finland, pandemic
Experiences of Building Collaboration, Belonging and Wellbeing in the Hybrid Work Era
Merja Ranta-aho, Organisational Psychologist, Independent Advisor at Meriya & Head of Organisational Performance at Mental Race Ltd.
Abstract
Before the pandemic, Finland led Europe in remote work, with 14% of the workforce working remotely. During the pandemic, remote work surged, and companies actively shared practices to mitigate adverse effects, resulting in largely positive experiences. After the pandemic, opinions on remote work became divided: leaders emphasized the need for office presence to sustain innovation and commitment, while employees sought to maintain the flexibility and trust characteristic of hybrid work. This presentation examines a case company’s experiences of fostering collaboration, belonging, and wellbeing across these phases, highlighting shifting perceptions of remote and hybrid work and their implications for leadership challenges and organizational performance.
Keywords: hybrid work, remote work, collaboration, belonging, wellbeing, leadership, organisational performance, Finland, pandemic
Can Forcing a Return to the Office Harm Well-being, Employee Retention, and Person-Organization Fit?
Kaire Piirsalu-Kivihall, University of Tartu, School of Economics and Business Administration
Abstract
Following the remote work boom triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, many organizations are now mandating a return to the office—raising concerns about employee well-being and retention. Employees may seek new jobs for better flexibility and work-life balance. This study investigates how perceived location autonomy (PLA), work-life balance (WLB), and perceived pressure for office presence (PPO) are associated with person-organization (P-O) fit, work stress, and turnover intention. Based on 1,169 survey responses from the Estonian Salary Information Agency in spring 2025, the findings indicate significant relationships between PLA, WLB, and PPO with work stress and P-O fit. Turnover intention was predicted by WLB and PPO, but not by PLA.
Keywords: return-to-office, telework, turnover intention, work stress, person-organization fit
Working in the Office, From Home or Abroad: Possibilities and Challenges at Deutsche Telekom IT Solutions
Gyöngyi Tóthné Harasztovics, Head of HR Services – Deutsche Telekom TSI Hungary Kft, DEUTSCHE TELEKOM IT SOLUTIONS
Abstract
The world of work has transformed, with remote work shifting from a privilege to an expectation. Deutsche Telekom IT Solutions has already offered flexible work before COVID-19, and afterwards developed a balanced hybrid model requiring only one office day per week, which resulted again in a competitive advantage. This approach fosters collaboration, culture, and cost efficiency while maintaining employee satisfaction. Regulated processes ensure safety and compliance, while long-term foreign telework is forbidden due to legal and tax risks. A unique “workation” option integrates well-being and business needs. Our model strengthens retention, employer attractiveness, and reflects a future of smart, balanced work.
Keywords: remote work, hybrid model, employee experience, workplace culture, retention, workation, Deutsche Telekom IT Solutions
Home Office and Employee Satisfaction During and After COVID-19
Dr. Sipos Norbert & Dr. Venczel-Szakó Tímea, University of Pécs, Faculty of Economics
Abstract
This paper explores how employee satisfaction with home office arrangements evolved during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. The study draws on a two-phase survey conducted in Hungary: the first wave involved 600 respondents aged 18–64 who had worked remotely for at least three months (May–June 2021), while the second wave surveyed 1,000 respondents (February–March 2022). Findings indicate that although the home office satisfaction index declined, positive attitudes towards remote work increased. The results highlight that employees remain open to remote work opportunities; however, their expectations have risen, with home office now regarded as a standard rather than a privilege.
Keywords: remote work, home office, employee satisfaction, Covid-19, Hungary, workplace transformation
Hybrid Work in the Public vs. Private Sectors: Impact and Challenges (Experience of Pilot Study)
Csaba Makó, Miklós Illéssy & Ákos Huszár, Ludovika University of Public Service & ELTE HUN-REN Institute of Sociology, Budapest, Hungary
Abstract
Based on survey data from over 1,900 employees collected between 2023 and 2024, this paper examines hybrid work frequency, organizational support, employee participation, and perceived impacts on productivity, job satisfaction, and turnover. Results reveal strong contrasts: hybrid work is broadly supported and institutionalized in the private sector, whereas public organizations offer fewer resources, grant less autonomy, and maintain more hierarchical control. Nonetheless, hybrid arrangements are consistently linked with better work–life balance, perceived productivity gains, and reduced staff turnover. The findings suggest that expanding hybrid practices can strengthen public sector competitiveness and improve employee attraction and retention.
Keywords: hybrid work, work–life balance, job satisfaction, productivity, turnover, public sector, private sector