Teleworking has exploded in 2020, with estimates suggesting that nearly 40% of employed people in the EU began telecommuting full-time as a result of the pandemic. ‘What appeared to be an underlying trend that was happening slowly has accelerated in a very short period of time ,’ said Xabier Goenaga, from the EU’s internal investigation service, the Joint Research Center, and co-author of a report from 2019. on the changing nature of work and skills in the digital age.
Before this year, around 5% of people in the EU worked regularly from home, a figure that had not changed much since 2009. And some sectors had more experience with teleworking than others. It is more prevalent in highly skilled workers, where the highest rates were found among teachers, ICT professionals, and administrators.
There are also regional disparities. In 2019, telecommuting was more common in northern European countries like Sweden, Finland and Denmark, and these countries have also seen the highest proportion of workers start telecommuting during the pandemic. In part, this is because there are more jobs in sectors conducive to teleworking. However, according to Goenaga, cultural differences are also at stake, as many workplaces are still configured in a more traditional way in southern Europe.
“It is possible that they are not organized for remote work because they do not trust their employees to the same level as some companies in northern Europe. I think that is going to change substantially in the future as a result of the pandemic,” continues the expert.
Switching to working from home could have advantages for employees. By eliminating commuting, they can gain more free time and a better work-life balance. And the evidence suggests that in normal times, productivity is unaffected and can even be improved.
However, there are also risks to address. A recent report suggests that people can work longer hours and take fewer breaks than recommended by EU guidelines when at home, as it is more difficult to control working hours. And social isolation can also be a problem.
“We have observed that people feel lonely and depressed and need social interaction to have a more balanced life,” Goenaga explains. His team is currently investigating the problem to see what can be done to help.
During the pandemic, teleworking has often had to be combined with childcare due to school closures, where these multiple functions are often taken over by women. A recent survey conducted in France found that the majority of women reported that telecommuting had a negative impact on their mental health. It is attributed to the additional family responsibilities they took on during the pandemic.
“We should tackle this collectively and see what kind of measures we should take so that (women) are not penalized again for their gender,” Goenaga clarifies.
Pospandemia
However, once the pandemic is over, remote work is likely to continue. Tech companies like Google have already announced that their employees will work from home until the summer of 2021. According to George Tilesch, global AI consultant and author of Between Brains, a book on the present and future impact of artificial intelligence (AI) , small businesses will soon follow suit.
Teleworking is attractive for companies because it reduces costs. A survey has shown that some employees would even be willing to take a pay cut if they could work from home . “I think human nature tends to stick with one thing after realizing it works,” says Tilesch.
Many companies can turn to artificial intelligence to help with the transition to telecommuting, particularly through real-time systems that can monitor remote employees. Surveillance technologies already exist that keep track of what workers are doing, such as monitoring emails and who accesses and edits files. But they could become more sophisticated and pervasive.
Businesses will also have to rethink cybersecurity. During the pandemic, many employees were using external video conferencing platforms to communicate and some were found to be prone to hacking. “Organizations must be careful when choosing the video conferencing facilities used by telecommuters to minimize the risk of hacking and loss of confidential information,” says Goenaga.
Digital skills
Many people do not have the skills to work remotely. A recent EU report, for example, found that a third of the EU workforce has very limited or no digital skills. However, most jobs in the future will require at least moderate computer skills.
Large companies are already taking a step forward to help unemployed people acquire digital skills. In June, Microsoft launched a Covid-19 recovery program that will partner with LinkedIn to identify the jobs that are in demand and the skills needed for them. They will then provide free access to relevant learning materials to anyone interested.
“These kinds of industry initiatives that take the first step and hopefully join the government is the way of the future,” explains Tilesch.
Goenaga believes that the EU will also start providing training over the next 18 months as part of its coronavirus recovery efforts. “I think there will be many programs aimed at rehabilitating the unemployed and improving the skills of the workforce,” he says.
If telecommuting is here to stay, it could have a profound impact on the regional distribution of jobs. Currently, there are many more high-paying jobs in capitals compared to other regions of a country. But Goenaga believes that telecommuting could result in a reversal of this trend. “Many people within companies may decide that they can do their work from a more remote location, which could be rural.”
Businesses may also decide to reduce their office space. Since the locks have been reduced, the capacity of the office has been reduced by between 30% and 50% in some cases. Although the current restrictions have largely been put in place to follow social distancing guidelines, companies may find that they can permanently reduce the number of employees working at the company. According to Tilesch, the offices will not disappear completely, but will only need enough space for about 30% of their employees to be there at the same time.
In the long term, adaptation to remote work should be an advantage if another health emergency or similar situation arises. “Organizations that have already introduced mass teleworking are going to be prepared to reintroduce it even more efficiently and effectively,” Goenaga concludes.
Original article
This article was originally published in Horizon, the EU Research and Innovation Magazine
