Telework during the COVID-19 Crisis from the Perspective of Public Sector Employees in Saudi Arabia: Challenges and Solutions

Abstract

Public Administration Department College of Business Administration King Saud University Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The present study aims to identify the challenges facing the adoption of remote work during the Covid-19 crisis from the viewpoint of public sector employees in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and seeks to identify the pros and cons of remote work and propose solutions to successfully adopt it during and after the crisis.  Using a survey approach, it has applied to sample of 544 individuals of both genders, to identify: the challenges of remote work, its disadvantages, and advantages, as well as the proposed solutions to successfully put it into effect.

The study reached several results. These challenges were the lack of remote work requirements provided to employees such as laptops. On another hand, the advantages of remote work during the crisis, also the participants agreed on many issues, it was the advantage of cutting the cost of commuting to work and saving time and effort. As for the disadvantages of remote work during the crisis, it was the lack of workers’ physical activity.

The study recommends, the following: enacting laws and legislations regulating remote work mechanisms and the development of relevant training programs for workers.