Effects of COVID-19 Crisis on Employment and Working Arrangements

COVID-19 pandemic, which emerged in China in the last months of 2019 and spread all over the world, has caused a “health crisis” at the global level, and measures fort his health crisis have caused a “socioeconomic crisis”. In this crisis, a contraction in economies and employment occurred and unemployment increased. At the same time, the implementation of some flexible working methods has become widespread, especially “working from distance/home”. It is envisaged that the precautions will continue until the definitive solution to the COVID-19 pandemic is found, and that the outbreak and measures will continue, albeit with decreasing, to affect business and community life.

The view that “nothing will be the same anymore” is frequently and widely expressed due to COVID-19 crisis. However, despite these views, that gather a lot of supporters, it seems controversial that the effects or changes experienced in the short term, especially in working methods, will lead to a permanent and radical transformation. Because the effects and changes of the crisis on employment and working method only means an increase in some situations and practices that are already known and practiced. On the other hand, it can be said that the widespread use of some flexible working methods such as “working/doing business remotely” due to compulsory reasons will have an increase effect in the implementation of these methods.

If there is no serious error in the predictions about its duration and effects, it is expected that the negative effects of the crisis on economy and employment will continue, albeit with a decrease, even after the pandemic. Depending on the developments especially in information technology and other fields, the crisis is thought to increase the prevalence and application rate of remote work and some flexible working methods, which are already on the agenda and implemented in some works and businesses. However, it is considered that this will not lead to a revolutionary/permanent change that will replace the traditional system that can be called “transformation” in the short term.