Work from Home Policy in UK Retail Sector: A Study on Tesco

This research evaluates the impact of work from home policy on the overall performance of a business after Covid-19 pandemic within the UK retail sector, with a focus on Tesco. It also identifies the challenges faced by Tesco and strategies to deal with them.

Evaluating the coping with post covid 19 scenarios: Could work from home be a new
norm?

Chapter 1- Introduction
1.1 Overview of research
Due the COVID pandemic the organisation take initiate of work from home policy in which
support is provided to employees and several organisations by the governments. It is been
allowed for the maximum period of one year in special economic Zone unit, that can be
extended to 50 percent of total employees. The employees are able to manage their life,
career and personal lives for instance, employees who would have had to commute can now
utilise that time for themselves. Additionally, employees are able to incorporate domestic
tasks into their schedules, providing them extra time in the evenings for leisure activities like
household chores and many others. The internet has made it feasible for personnel to be
continuously updated, which is made easier by technology. This policy helps the employees
to take care of themselves and getting of work done which provides the flexibility to set their
routine. The work from home policy also enables employees to take care of their sick kids
without taking a full day leave from the office. There will be increase in overall value of
organisation employees as a result of such measures, since they will be given greater new
prospects for growth (Azizah Sanrang, and et.al., 2022). Furthermore, productivity may be
increased, and clients will be delighted with the services. Employees can work according to
their schedules, such as full-time or on specific days. It is researched that there are five
essential components of an effective work from home policy which involves eligibility,
schedule requirements, productivity measurements, managing communication and security.
The research helps in understanding the concept of work from home policy within UK retail
sector with its impact on the performance. The research will also cover the challenges that is
face by Tesco and strategies are identified as to deal with challenges which helps Tesco in
improving the performance & productivity. Moreover, it can be said that the overall
workplace got affected due to pandemic globally as the businesses has led to adopt alternate
work arrangements in order to support the business and the employees. Sometimes
employees also feel alone and isolated when they work from home and it can also be noticed
that working from home employees could feel the sense of isolation from their co-workers. In
relation to this issue and to solve this issue, employers must make sure that communication
occurs more frequently among all. Consequently, scheduling quick phone catch-ups or
regular team meetings with the help of other technologies that is Skype allows the employees
to have more chances in order to feel connected, engaged and a part of the team. Having
more informal and sociable gatherings could also help ease any loneliness sensations among

the employees. But the company has to bear the additional cost and various expenses related
to providing the necessary tools for instance laptops, smartphones, and other IT hardware,
and providing proper training (Raj and Agrawal, 2019). The company had to consider making
adjustments in order to meet health and safety regulations. That can impact their mental
health too as the choice to work from home may be harmful to the employee's mental health.
As if they are unable to create a proper schedule that works for them. Then they find it
difficult to distinguish between the work life and personal time. In order to help the
employees, proper diet and regular exercise can also help with mental health and their health.
1.2 Background information
In the current research, the topic is related to the work from home policy in the UK retail
sector. The research is been done on the organisation of UK retail sector in context to Tesco
which is a British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer which is
incorporated in 1919 by Jack Cohen having market share of around 28.4%. In this employee
get the opportunity to get their official work done from the home due to increase of Covid-19
which is provided by the company in Tesco. In this way it provided the safety to several
employees which helps organisation of Tesco in attaining the desired goals and tasks in
systematic manner (Ebrahimi, Kouchaki, and Patrick, 2020). With this employee are also
benefited in balancing their personal & professional life by making them feel comfortable.
The policy provides the benefit of no physical travel to work that helps in saving substantial
amount of money and gets a better work-life balance. In the today’s work environment, it is
becoming growing trend which is an agreement between the employer and employees who
prefers to have the work from home privileges. The Tesco has arranged in order to enhance
teleconferencing tools to make work from home more comfortable. It is required by the
organisation to communicate the importance of policy along with how it will be implemented
that will improve the overall employee value proposition, maximise work experience of team
members. Due to the epidemic, the majority of employees had to face the experience of
working from home. Due to which this policy has become a top most priority for the
companies (Pennington and Stanford, 2020). That is why the policies must be created with
both employers and employees goals and needs in the mind. It is a known fact that Covid-19
has majorly impacted every aspect of work and life both. As the pandemic is the main reason
which has imposed the culture of work from home. Along with it, the pandemic has created a
major impact and it has changed the workplace’s dynamics and that is why more workers are
choosing to work from home. It can also be said that this method, in contrast to old work

habits has disadvantages and has had a significant effect on both organisations and the
workforce. Likewise, it also creates a variety of challenges in the field and line of work. Due
to which the effects of working from home must be properly addressed, so that the workforce
and various professionals must be benefited from management. As new innovations are
considered essential throughout the crisis as important stakeholders got impacted during the
pandemic. This present study aims to address the concept of working from home in relation
to the UK retail sector (Chong, Gordo and Gere, 2018). There is a need for employee skill
improvement, psychological stress relief, work-family balance, and business culture
reinforcement from a due to the effects of WFH work patterns during the Covid-19 crisis.
The study will also outline the difficulties Tesco faces in implementing a work-from-home
policy for their employees. Also, various methods will be projected in order to deal with the
difficulties brought on by its work-from-home policy. In addition to this, due to the COVID
pandemic, various organisations developed a work-from-home policy in which employees
and numerous organisations received support from the governments (Brockell, 2020). This
policy gives the employees the freedom to establish their own routines while assisting them
in taking care of themselves and completing their work. Employees can take care of their ill
children or set their routine as per their mood or needs to the work from home policy without
having to miss a full day of work. Since of these actions, employees of the organisation will
be worth more overall because they will have more opportunities to further their careers. The
employees will be able to live a flexible life which tends to help them to arrange various tasks
and things. Working from home has the power to support the company in the process of
employee retention. The main behind is the flexibility of working from home which allows
the workers to fulfil desired needs, cut down on commuting time, and fit work around
personal obligations. The company permitted the work-from-home policy for the staff to
maintain safety due to the spread of the Covid-19. It can also be seen that staff that are
permitted to work from home will also feel more trusted by their employer, which can
considerably enhance the level of staff loyalty (Wilkins, 2019).
1.3 Problem statement and rationale of research
Due to the spread of the Covid disease the organisation allowed the work from home policy
for the employees to keep the safety. The problem face by the organisation in framework to
Tesco was low productivity from the policy of work from home. The business can have
growth by having the right technology & approach. It is being a new challenge for the
companies and employees as companies are dealing with the new Pandemic (Gokul

Santhanam, 2020). In the work from policy the employees are facing challenges of time
management, distraction challenge, supervision, communication challenge etc. The reason of
conducting this research to have in-depth knowledge of the policy related to work from home
through the support the importance of work from home policy at can be known at the time of
Covid-19. The research helps in outlining the problems that the chosen organisation had
when implementing the work-from-home policy. Furthermore, the current inquiry is of
considerable importance because it will fulfil two perspectives, personal and professional. In
regard to the personal purpose, distinct research skills will be acquired, as opposed to the
professional objective. These abilities will help to carry out the future study in a methodical
manner, and so the current study will be significant in achieving the dual perspective
(Kashive, Sharma, and Khanna, 2021). Whereas the main issue is that some people do not
prefer working from home as some employees might value the structure and routine that
come with working in an office. So, they prefer that fixed routine and found it more
productive and the workers prefer face-to-face interactions with their co-workers (Barkley
and Benton, 2021). Along with it, they may also find that getting clear instructions from their
manager is particularly beneficial for completing tasks and achieving objectives. Aa it will
clear the level of understanding in relation to tasks and it will elevate the level of productivity
in the company. As well, it is must to take care of the new employees as if they work from
home, they will not be able to receive the support they need to do their job. In addition,
working from home may not be ideal for everyone's family situation and routine. Those who
have young children, for instance, may find that they interfere with their day at work because
they are oblivious to their boundaries (Park,Fritz and Jex, 2018).
1.4 Aims, Research Objectives and Questions
To analyses the impact of work from home policy on the overall performance of a
business after Covid-19 pandemic within the UK retail sector. “A study on Tesco”
Objectives
 To understand the concept of work from home policy within the UK retail sector
 To analyses the impact of work from home policy as a new norm on the overall
performance of Tesco after Covid-19 pandemic
 To determine the challenges faced by Tesco by providing work from home policy to
their staff

 To identify the strategies that help Tesco to deal with the challenges associated
through work from home policy
Research Questions
 What is the concept of work from home policy within the UK retail sector?
 What is the impact of work from home policy as a new norm on the overall
performance of Tesco after Covid-19 pandemic?
 What are the challenges faced by Tesco by providing work from home policy to their
staff?
 What are the strategies that help Tesco to deal with the challenges associated through
work from home policy?

References
Books and Journals
Azizah Sanrang, and et.al., 2022. EFFECT OF SYSTEM WORK FROM HOME (WFH)
AND COMMUNICATION ON EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE AT PT. ULTRA
JAYA MILK INDUSTRY & TRADING COMPANY TBK. Central Asia & the
Caucasus (14046091), 23(1).
Barkley, R.A. and Benton, C.M., 2021. Taking Charge of Adult ADHD: Proven Strategies to
Succeed at Work, at Home, and in Relationships. Guilford Publications.
Brockell, G., 2020. During a pandemic, Isaac Newton had to work from home, too. He used
the time wisely. The Washington Post, 12.
Chong, A., Gordo, M. and Gere, J., 2018. The influences of work and home interference and
facilitation on job satisfaction: An attachment theory perspective. Journal of
Personnel Psychology, 17(2), p.94.
Ebrahimi, M., Kouchaki, M. and Patrick, V.M., 2020. Juggling work and home selves: Low
identity integration feels less authentic and increases unethicality. Organizational
Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 158, pp.101-111.
Gokul Santhanam, D.K., 2020. Impact Of Long Term Work From Home On Work Culture &
Employee Engagement: A Study Focused On Indian IT Companies. Solid State
Technology, 63(6), pp.13822-13831.
Kashive, N., Sharma, B. and Khanna, V.T., 2021. Work from home: understanding boundary
management profiles using boundary-fit perspective. International Journal of
Organizational Analysis.
Park, Y., Fritz, C. and Jex, S.M., 2018. Daily cyber incivility and distress: The moderating
roles of resources at work and home. Journal of Management, 44(7), pp.2535-2557.
Pennington, A. and Stanford, J., 2020. Working from home: opportunities and risks.
Raj, A. and Agrawal, A.M., 2019. The Future Wave of Rural Women Empowerment: Work-
From-Home Opportunity. PRAGATI: Journal of Indian Economy, 6(1), pp.1-15.
Wilkins, A., 2019. Migration, work and home-making in the city: Dwelling and belonging
among Vietnamese Communities in London. Routledge.