Existing studies on flexwork stress its individualizing inclination by showing how it gives autonomy to employees, boosts individual productivity, or supports personal well-being at the expense of group cohesiveness, social ties and other characteristics of the “collective” in organizations. Obviously, flexwork both continues and contributes to an individualization process of working activities and relationships. But, how exactly does flexwork re-regulate working relationships and communities? Is the “collective” irremediably damaged and doomed to disappear? Building on a case study conducted in an insurance company having implemented flexwork, we observe invisibilized employees working from diverse premises (e.g., home, office, etc.) initiating alternative ways of staying united and close. This article shows the re-regulation of these working relationships and communities' through a collective identity process involving de/re-spacing identity; i.e., the spatial and material aspects of flexible work in relation to identity.

现有关于弹性工作的研究通过展示弹性工作如何赋予员工自主权、提高个人生产力或支持个人福祉，以牺牲群体凝聚力、社会联系和组织中“集体”的其他特征为代价，强调了其个性化倾向。显然，弹性工作不仅延续并促进了工作活动和关系的个性化过程。但是，弹性工作究竟如何重新调节工作关系和社区？“集体”是否会受到不可挽回的破坏并注定要消失？基于在一家实施弹性工作制的保险公司进行的案例研究，我们观察到在不同场所（例如家、办公室等）工作的隐形员工开始采用其他方式保持团结和亲密。本文展示了通过涉及去/重新间隔身份的集体身份过程对这些工作关系和社区的重新规范；即，与身份相关的灵活工作的空间和材料方面。