Tesco's Adaptation: Evaluating Work From Home as New Norm Post Covid

This report evaluates Tesco's work-from-home (WFH) policy in the post-COVID-19 era, examining its impact on the company's overall performance within the UK retail sector. It delves into the concept of WFH, its adoption by Tesco, and the challenges faced during implementation, such as communication barriers and ensuring employee well-being. The report identifies strategies employed by Tesco to address these challenges, including providing necessary technological tools and fostering a supportive work environment. It also explores the advantages and disadvantages of WFH, considering its effects on employee productivity, work-life balance, and the company's operational efficiency. The research uses quantitative analysis to gather insights into the effectiveness of Tesco's WFH policy, providing valuable recommendations for Tesco and other retailers considering similar arrangements. Desklib provides access to similar solved assignments for students.

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

Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1- INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................4
1.1. Chapter overview.................................................................................................................4
1.2 Overview of research.............................................................................................................4
1.3 Background of Tesco..............................................................................................................5
1.4 Problem statement and rationale of research.......................................................................5
1.5 Aims, Research Objectives and Questions.............................................................................7
1.6 Research methodology..........................................................................................................7
1.7 Scope and limitation..............................................................................................................7
1.8 Significance of the study........................................................................................................8
1.9 Summary................................................................................................................................8
1.10 Work structure....................................................................................................................8
CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW.........................................................................................................10
2.1 Chapter overview................................................................................................................10
2.2 Maslow theory.....................................................................................................................10
2.3 The concept of WFH policy within the UK retail sector.......................................................11
2.4 To analyse the impact of work from home policy as a new norm on the overall performance of
Tesco after Covid-19 pandemic.................................................................................................13
2.5 To determine the challenges faced by Tesco by providing work from home policy to their staff
...................................................................................................................................................15
2.6 To identify the strategies that help Tesco to deal with the challenges associated through work
from home policy......................................................................................................................17
2.7 Conclusion...........................................................................................................................19
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY..............................................................................................20
CHAPTER 4: DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDING.........................................................................................23
Frequency distribution table.....................................................................................................23
Data interpretation....................................................................................................................25
References...........................................................................................................................................35
APPENDIX............................................................................................................................................38
Questionnaire............................................................................................................................38

CHAPTER 1- INTRODUCTION
1.1. Chapter overview
Covid-19 brings major challenges and changes in the entire world. It also brings changes
in the corporate world as well, resulting in changes in the regular work process. In order to
cope up with the changes, many organisations introduced work from home strategy to avoid
physical contact and infection of Covid-19. Thus, the current research topic will be based on
the evaluation of coping with post Covid-19 scenario and work from home can be a new
norm or not.
1.2 Overview of research
Due to the COVID pandemic many organisations were forced to adopt the work from
home policy to avoid a complete still stand. The UK Government provided some support for
several businesses. Due to the pandemic politics organisations developed work from home
policies in order to avoid the risk of infection against the disease. It provided a way to
relocate all the jobs that need physical appearance in offices (Raj and Agrawal, 2019). It is
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. 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.
1.3 Background of Tesco
In the current research, the topic is investigated on WFH in context to Tesco which is a
British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer. Jack Cohen was the founder
of the respective retail organization. It has market share of around 28.4%. The company has
grown over time and become one of the biggest supermarket chains in the UK. Tesco
operates different store formats and online with a workforce of more than 300,000 people. In
this organization, all employees get the opportunity to get their official work done from the
home due to increase of Covid-19. 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).
1.4 Problem statement and rationale of research
Most of the organizations in UK changing their working system from working from
offices to the working from home (WFH) in order to safeguard people from infection.
Employees are provided with training programs so that they can perform their jobs even from
remote places. It is become a new norm to give work from home facilities to the employees in
order to meet the needs of employees along with organization as well. Companies such as

Tesco try to develop an environment of home office where employees can deal with their
coo-workers, clients, managers and so on in a professional way. It will be continuing and
employees can do their work even from offices or home as per their needs. Similarly, to other
organizations, Tesco also faces the problems in regulating new work from home policy such
as they need to provide training to employees to use technology in order to communicate
information and so on. Many employees are used to work in a traditional way that is working
from offices under their supervisors as they used to it. It is also challenging to the company
that employees are not ready to accept the new functioning of business that is new norm of
WFH. 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. 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).

1.5 Aims, Research Objectives and Questions
The study aims to analyse the impact of WFH policy on the overall performance of a
business after Covid-19 pandemic within the UK retail sector. “A study on Tesco”
Objectives
 To critically analyse 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?
1.6 Research methodology
The research methodology is used by the researcher for collecting, analysing and
managing of the information in appropriate manner. In the area of research, the research helps
in selecting data to researcher. The research methodology comprises of several components
such as research philosophy, strategy, choice, data collection & analysis and many more. In
the present research the quantitative analysis is been used by researcher which helps in
attaining goals & objectives of research topic.
1.7 Scope and limitation
The following research effectively demonstrate the concept of WFH policy
implemented in the organization. It shows both positive and negative influences on the entire
business performance. It also covers challenges that could rise in response to Covid-19. The
reader will gain an acknowledgement about the strategies that could help in coping up with
the situation. While, the limitation is that research work is time consuming process as it needs

investigator to search the sources to gain information or data from different articles, books or
journals.
1.8 Significance of the study
An effective WFH policy is important for all businesses, including Tesco. The findings
and recommendations are valuable mainly for Tesco but also for other retailers. The current
research work will provide an understanding regarding the concept of WFH policy as a new
norm in the organisation. It will benefit the reader to learn how working process in companies
have been changing and what impact it delivers to the employees and employers.
1.9 Summary
Having a proper WFH policy in place helps companies like Tesco in maintaining the
organisation efficiency. This chapter provided an overview of the research by introducing the
subject, the research problem, and stating the research objectives and questions developed to
address the problem.
1.10 Work structure
Whilst chapter 1 laid the basis for research as a whole, the remaining chapters are as
following:
Chapter1: Introduction- It provides a basic understanding about the research topic,
organization or industry, significant, purpose and issues of topic and so on. Introduction is the
main chapter of the current study and it displays the overall study's purpose as well as its
goals, objectives, and research questions. This is the research chapter that is most crucial
since it informs the researcher of the tasks that need to be completed during the inquiry. It
plays a significant role in the efficient execution of an inquiry.
Chapter2: Literature review- It analyses different authors view and findings related
to WFH. The literature review phase of the inquiry discusses secondary data related to the
investigation's chosen topic. In order to learn specifics about the study, the researcher uses a
range of historical data in this phase. For the researcher, the literature review is one of the
most important chapters because it helps them comprehend the topic more fully. This
section's content was gathered using data from a range of sources, including books, journals,
articles, websites, government sites, and more. This helps the researcher identify areas where
past studies and the current work have research gaps.
Chapter3: Research methodology- It explains the research philosophy, approach,
and methods employed to accomplish the research aims. The methods for acquiring and

analysing information utilised in research are covered in the third chapter. The researcher will
make use of the Saunders research onion framework, which offers layers for data collection
and analysis. The methodology section assists the researcher in deciding on the best data type
to use in order to meet the goals and objectives of the study. In order to achieve high-quality
results, this section also provides guidance on how to choose the best sources for data
collecting. To answer a study issue, gathered and reviewed data are also utilised.
Chapter4: Critical data analysis- It presents the findings and discusses the results.
The results and analysis of the material are covered in the fourth chapter. It methodically
provides the discussion based on main and secondary sources of information. In order to
gather relevant data for the study, the researcher looked over and analyzed the raw data in
this part. Analyzing the data is essential in order to get proper conclusions about the topic.
Chapter5: Conclusion, Recommendation and action plan- It offers the conclusion,
provides recommendation towards Tesco, and suggestions for further research. The final
chapter includes a comprehensive summary of every previous chapter. Additionally, it offers
advice on how the particular organization might strengthen its areas of weakness.

CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Chapter overview
The second crucial chapter is the literature review and it is the chapter that employs
supplementary information in order to respond to the inquiry. Publications including books,
articles, journals, newspapers, etc. are among the publications used as secondary sources in
this study. This chapter critically evaluates the historical data that has been gathered by
numerous academics on the same topic. The investigator gains greater subject knowledge
with the aid of this chapter, enabling them to undertake subsequent research with confidence.
The research gap is also adequately covered in this section. This section outlines the policy
idea for working from home in the UK retail industry and to evaluate the effect of Tesco's
overall performance after the Covid-19 epidemic on the work-from-home policy as a new
standard. Along with it, various difficulties of the chosen company while implementing a
work-from-home policy for its employees, as well as the solutions that Tesco has found to
address these difficulties will also be projected in this section.
2.2 Maslow theory
Maslow's theory is known to help the lower-level employees in order to feel secure in
their roles and later develop their managerial abilities. That is why the higher-level
employees become better supervisors as a result, and it also motivates them to improve
themselves so that they can contribute better in the company. As it can be said that many
companies are to face various issues which are linked with employee’s engagement level.
The theory also suggests that it is must to put the most fundamental needs first of the
employees. It is mainly linked with motivation which comprises of five main categories
related to the human needs and their behavior. Furthermore, tthese needs include those for
physiology, safety, belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. It is projected in the form of
pyramid as the basic needs are at bottom and intangible things at the top. Moreover, a person
will be able to fulfil the higher needs only when the basic needs are fulfilled. It can be seen
that there are various needs which are involved in it that is physiological, security, esteem
and self-actualization needs. This theory is mainly provides a summary of the human needs
which are utilized in relation to the product’s design and pricing. Additionally, it also aids the
advertisers in concentrating their advertising appeals on certain demands that a sizable
portion of their target demographic shares.

2.3 The concept of WFH policy within the UK retail sector
According to Gould and Shierholz (2020), the concept of work from home brought so
many benefits for both the company and its employees. In the current times, the concept is
becoming important as it supports in order to keep the level of productivity. As well, the
employees are now able to include domestic tasks into their daily schedules which allows
them to provide extra time mainly for the leisure activities and household chores. In that
process the internet has made it more achievable for the personnel in order to be continuously
updated. It allows to assist the employees in the process of taking care of themselves and
getting work done. Due to which proper flexibility can be brought to set the routine. The
work from home policy also allows the workforce to take care of their kids without taking a
leave from the office. The work from home policy is one of the best tools in relation to assist
the employees stay at home and also work (Thamrin and et.al.,2022). Covid-19 is the main
reason which has forced the companies globally in order to work virtually. It tends to bring a
kind of balance in the work life balance as the employees have the control over the work
schedule and their personal lives. Companies also prefer this culture as it tends to save the
costs, lessen commutes, and provide a better work-life balance. The companies were adopting
the culture of flexible working model at the workplace so that better performance can be
made and the desired goals can be attained. It can also be seen that employees feel motivated
when they are able to live a proper good work life balance which directly leads to elevate the
level of productivity. The policy of allowing employees to work from home causes them
problems with various issues such as related to time management, distraction, monitoring,
and communication. By highlighting the importance of such rules in the year Covid-19, this
study aimed to acquire a full grasp of the work-from-home policies that were in existence.
The study helps to highlight the problems the chosen company ran across when putting its
work-from-home policy into action. There are various benefits for using work from home
policy which are presented below-
 The chosen company was able to contribute better as the work was performed with a
good pace and more peacefully. The chosen company targets on managing the time
properly so that all the tasks are performed on the priority basis and systematic
manner.
 The company was able to retain the workforce with this policy as the employees
prefer working from home. As it provides them the freedom of working as per their
schedule and time.

 The company has targeted on developing a digital work culture as it is one of the
essential parts at the workplace. The main focus was given on improving the
employee experience at the company because new work culture and abrupt shift may
lead to anxiety with stress.
 Along with it, the level of communication has also improved as the employees are
clear in relation to the work and tasks. The employees were able to save money in
relation to various expense such as car maintenance, transportation, parking fees,
professional wardrobe, lunches, gas and many more.
 The employees were able to live a healthier and happier life as they are now able to
contribute more time to their hobbies and various interests. They are now able to take
breaks whenever they want and have lunch as per their mood.
 The employees are now able to spend their valuable time with their loved ones as
they work from home. Due to which they feel satisfied with the job as the employees
are now happier in their jobs (McCloskey, 2018).
 The process of communication and collaboration is encouraged by maintaining
constant communication to monitor the progress of the team, each employee and their
well-being. It is also essential to make use of digital work platform that will
provide proper communication and contextual collaboration to do so.
It can also be said that most of the companies in UK are changing their working system for
instance providing working from home (WFH). With the main of safeguarding the people
from infection and nay issues. That is why the chosen company is focusing on providing
proper training programs to the workforce so that they can perform their jobs even from
remote places (Ramasamy, 2018). Along with it, it has become a new norm to give work
from home facilities to the employees with the goal of meeting the needs of employees along
with organization as well. The respective company also tries to further develop an
environment of home office in which the employees will be able to deal with their co-
workers, customers, management in a systematic and professional way. Further, the
employees can do their work even from offices or home as per their requirements. Likewise,
other companies Tesco also faces the various problems in relation to regulate the new work
from home policy such as they need to provide proper training to employees in order to make
use of technology to communicate information in the company.

Figure 1:Work From Home - WFH - Meaning, Importance, Steps & Example
2.4 To analyse the impact of work from home policy as a new norm on the overall
performance of Tesco after Covid-19 pandemic
As stated by Sutarto, Wardaningsih and Putri, (2021), work from policy has a major impact
on the overall level of performance in the company. Pandemic has brought main issues and
challenges globally as it tends to bring some drastic changes in the overall industries and the
corporate world (Cappelli, 2021). All such things lead to result in changes in the regular work
process. In order to deal with the major changes, most of the companies have introduced
work from home strategy in order to reduce the physical contact and spread of Covid-19.
Along with it, there are various practises which are involved in the work from home policy
which are explained below-
 It is must to have a proper technology that is computer, phone conferencing, proper
access to the internal tools so that work can be performed in a better manner. It is also
vital to have a secure connection so that data will be kept safe in the company.
 It is also essential to implement the communication program so that workers will be
connected via email, phone, video conferencing and many others. The chosen
company makes use of, Skype, Slack and other messaging services in order to stay
connected (Kashive, Sharma and Khanna, 2021).