“Även om jag inte uppskattar att bli knackad på axeln så saknar jag ändå… Att bli knackad på axeln.” : - En kvalitativ intervjustudie om distansarbetets sociala arbetsmiljö under Covid-19 pandemin

Sammanfattning: This study examines employees who, during the spread of the Covid-19 virus, have had to switch from working in the workplace to digital teleworking. The aim of the study is to achieve a deeper understanding of how the informants are experiencing their social work environment in digital teleworking, by examining how they experience their relationships with colleagues, managers and cohabitants, as well as how they experience their organizations’ handling of the social work environment. The empirical data consists of 6 qualitative, semi-structured interviews. The theoretical framework of the study consists of Jahoda’s Deprivation theory and Ahrne’s theory of the Organizational centaur, both of which concern the importance of social contact in the workplace. The result of the study show how the respondent’s collegial relationships are affected or even deteriorative by the digital telework during Covid-19 , and how the relationships with cohabitants have changed their dynamics by becoming more work oriented. The result also shows that the respondents perceived lack of organizational management of the social work environment during their new work circumstances caused by Covid-19. Meanwhile, the experiences of employee engagement for digital social contact has increased, as well as perceived social support from those whose partners also work from home. The conclusions of the study are that work seems to fulfill an unintentional social function that is irreplaceable, and that employee initiatives for social interaction increase when the employees feel that the employer invests too much in organizational goals