New Work

New Work is the umbrella term for various new working models and alternative forms of work. The term was coined by social philosopher Frithjof Bergmann, who developed the concept of new work in the 1970s. Although New Work is not entirely new, it continues to play a central role in the modern world of work.

The New Work concept according to Frithjof Bergmann

Bergmann's New Work concept aims to fundamentally change the traditional understanding of wage labor. He explains this using the concepts of end and means: since the industrial revolution, the purpose of work has mainly been to fulfill certain tasks, for example a recurring activity on an assembly line. The working person served as a mere tool to achieve this purpose.

Bergmann's ideal form of new work reverses this relationship: New Work should be the means by which people can realize themselves as free individuals. The focus of the New Work concept is therefore on the meaningful function of work as well as values such as freedom and personal responsibility. Bergmann's general definition of New Work as a concept of new forms of work is therefore as follows: It is the work that a person really wants to do.

New Work and other new forms of work

New Work stands for a variety of new forms of work that are characterized by flexibility, personal responsibility and a stronger focus on the needs of employees. These new forms of work are emerging in response to the challenges of the modern working world, such as digitalization, globalization and the desire for a better work-life balance. Examples of such new forms of work include working from home, remote working, flexible working hours and agile working methods such as Scrum or Kanban. The idea of a four-day week or working in coworking spaces are also part of this. These models allow employees to adapt their working day to their individual needs and circumstances, which can increase both satisfaction and productivity.

New forms of working time recording

With the introduction of New Work and the associated new, flexible working models, companies are also facing new challenges when it comes to recording working hours. Traditional methods of time recording, such as time clocks or manual timesheets, reach their limits when employees work from any location or at variable times. This is where innovative solutions such as the WEB time recording software from Krutec come into play. Krutec offers digital time recording systems that can be seamlessly integrated into modern working environments. Employees can record their working hours on the move via the smartphone app or with a laptop via the browser - regardless of whether they are working from home, in a coworking space or in the office. On the one hand, such digital systems enable precise and transparent recording of working hours and, on the other hand, give employees more autonomy, as they can manage their working hours independently and flexibly. In this way, Krutec supports companies in the successful implementation of New Work by combining new forms of work with efficient time recording.