Employment relationships are shaped by a network of social norms that implicitly guide expected behavior, particularly when formal contractual arrangements are limited. The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced significant shifts, such as increased short-time work and the adoption of home-based work within firms. In this context, our study investigates three key questions: first, whether social norms exist regarding these changes; second, whether there are differences in attitudes between employees and supervisors (misalignment); and third, whether discrepancies exist between individuals’ own attitudes and their perceptions of the population’s attitudes (pluralistic ignorance). Our findings indicate that shared normative attitudes exist regarding short-time work and home-based work, with only minor differences between supervisors and non-supervisors. Additionally, evidence of pluralistic ignorance emerges, as respondents tended to overestimate or underestimate the consensus within the surveyed population when asked about others’ opinions. This phenomenon can sustain norms even when individuals privately disagree, potentially affecting both the quality of employment relationships and organizational functioning. Overall, our results highlight that social norms play a critical role in labor market analysis, particularly during periods of change.
