Is working from
home here to
stay?
04/03/2021
Is working from home here to stay?
04/03/2021
Understanding your employees’ remote needs
Working from the office 5+ times a week is a thing of the past for many. COVID-19 has shifted the way we work, and the way we think about work. Remote working has become the new way of working for some. Whether this is something positive or negative is completely subjective to the employee and employer.
Understanding your employees’ remote needs
Working from the office 5+ times a week is a thing of the past for many. COVID-19 has shifted the way we work, and the way we think about work. Remote working has become the new way of working for some. Whether this is something positive or negative is completely subjective to the employee and employer.
So, do people like this new way of working? We carried out a pulse survey amongst the general population of Malta & Gozo, and found that the majority of respondents feel comfortable working from home and have developed a good working routine. The survey looked at different aspects of remote working such as the biggest struggles when working from home and the change in productivity. We gathered responses from people working in different sectors with a majority in the finance sector.
Employees have various reasons for liking and disliking remote working, each one dependent on myriad factors, such as the sector one works in, the size of household, and one’s age. The age of respondents has appeared to be especially influential. In this pulse survey we discovered that the best part of working from home for the majority of respondents was that they saved time commuting. However, the majority of those aged 26 and younger enjoyed the fact that it allows them to wake up slightly later than usual in the morning.
One of the biggest struggles of working remotely for the majority of respondents has been the lack of social interaction and experiencing loneliness. This has undoubtedly had an impact on their mental health, with over 65% of respondents claiming that remote working has had an affect on their mental health. The impact of remote working on mental health has been especially visible amongst Millennials (27 years – 41 years).
Keeping your employees happy is of utmost importance, so understanding what their preferences are becomes crucial. From the survey we carried out, we found that 75% of respondents would prefer a hybrid approach which gives them the possibility to be flexible and work a few days at the office and other days from home. When asked how many days respondents would like to work from the office, 42% said that two days would be the ideal number of times.
Employees’ Working Preferences Post COVID-19
One of the biggest struggles of working remotely for the majority of respondents has been the lack of social interaction and experiencing loneliness. This has undoubtedly had an impact on their mental health, with over 65% of respondents claiming that remote working has had an affect on their mental health. The impact of remote working on mental health has been especially visible amongst Millennials (27 years – 41 years).
Keeping your employees happy is of utmost importance, so understanding what their preferences are becomes crucial. From the survey we carried out, we found that 75% of respondents would prefer a hybrid approach which gives them the possibility to be flexible and work a few days at the office and other days from home. When asked how many days respondents would like to work from the office, 42% said that two days would be the ideal number of times.
Employees’ Working Preferences Post COVID-19
While there may be concern about employees’ productivity when working remotely, the data shows that 53% of the respondents claimed that they are more productive. While another 33% said that their productivity stayed the same.
Offering this hybrid approach seems to be the way forward for many employers however, this is not a one way ticket to keeping your employees happy. It is important for HR management to check up on the employees. From our survey, the majority of respondents claimed that no one had contacted them to ask about their working preferences post COVID-19, with 80% expecting HR to be responsible for this.
