Hybrid Workplaces - an Analysis from Ergonomic Perspective

The science of Ergonomics is part of our usual activities, not only at our working places but also in our homes or during our holidays. Of course, the focus is on workplace design, but the information from Ergonomics can be used to improve our internal house design (kitchen, working space, or bedroom), the tourism accommodations (for normal people and those with special needs), and for the design of the facilities from the amusement parks. The changes in the specifics of the work over time due to the development and modernization of the work conditions requested adaptation, changes, improvement, and new solutions from Ergonomics. Nowadays we are facing a new dramatical change – the Fourth Industrial Revolution which will lead to significant changes in work organization and workplace design. The rising share of computer workplaces, automation and computer use in more and more industries, and teleworking will challenge the Ergonomics preoccupations for finding optimal solutions to reduce workplace injuries and illnesses, to settle the correct position at work, to design the work environment, and to manage the work and the workers. It is a certainty that new jobs will appear in the future for whom it will be necessary to settle ergonomic rules and requirements according to the specifics of the workplace. The Covid-19 pandemic shows the need to be flexible and capable of adaptation both from the part of employer and employee. This paper contains a study of the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on job organizations, which will have a big influence on future jobs. The ergonomic perspective takes into consideration the 4B conceptual model and proposes an improvement of this model. Also, a set of ergonomic basic rules is proposed in the case of teleworking jobs.