The illusion of teleworking fades. In Spain, only 12.8% of employed people telework, and 6.1% of them do not even do so regularly, according to data from the latest Active Population Survey (EPA). In fact, the number of employees who work from home more than half the days has been reduced by half compared to the second quarter of 2020, when many mobility restrictions were still in place due to the Covid pandemic.
Statistics on the use of ICT in homes show that teleworking is especially relevant among younger workers - especially the population group between 25 and 44 years old, where 16% work mainly remotely -, and among people with university education, 27% of which work remotely. It has also taken off more in cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants and in provincial capitals.
But although the practice of teleworking is much lower than what existed during the pandemic, the experience of those days has meant that many companies have agreed to make their work methods and schedules more flexible, that many people carry out their work day in some hybrid format and that Companies, institutions and employees have become accustomed to avoiding, or at least reducing, travel, which is why the use of videoconferencing continues for countless meetings, training and presentations.
Using Zoom, Teams, Meets or Slack to communicate is the order of the day, even when people are in the same building. As these tools have become so popular and many people have mastered them, there are those who use them to replace what before the pandemic would have been a simple phone call with the argument of “this is how we see each other.” And there are also many events and conferences that are now organized in hybrid formats, in-person and online, to expand their audience.
The result is that there are still many people who spend part of their day gathered in front of the screen. And all of this, experts say, translates into worse communication and greater fatigue.
Virtual communication has become an indispensable tool in the world of work and will probably become even more so as the flexible, hybrid or remote work models demanded by younger employees advance.
Human resources specialists are clear that today work is not at the top of people's priorities, among other reasons because having a job does not mean having a high standard of living, so workers prioritize that it at least be sufficiently flexible so as not to give up other things in your life.
The latest installment of the Infoempleo and Adecco report on employment supply and demand in Spain places reconciling professional and family life as the main reason for deciding to change jobs. And the schedule or type of day, as well as the flexibility measures and teleworking options that the company offers are also among the reasons that weigh the most for this change.
In the United States, investors are already beginning to value the clarity of flexible work and work-from-home policies as an indicator that a company is well managed.
Investors see these policies as a sign of constant productivity and efficiency over time; They believe that clear policies agreed upon with employees indicate the company's ability to attract and retain top talent and build a positive work culture even in a remote or hybrid environment.
Gleb Tsipursky, executive director of the labor trends consulting firm Disaster Avoidance Experts, explained it a few days ago in an article in the business magazine Fast Company: “They see that regulating and agreeing on work flexibility leads to happier employees, less turnover and better relationships.” with customers, all of which is key to long-term business success and, therefore, to the return on your investment.”
