What is a remote job? Can remote working prevent burnout? What can a business do to ensure a favorable environment and a healthy mindset for employees? We’re talking about two aspects of remote work: the flexibility and benefits for companies, as well as the negative elements that come with it.
Statistics about remote jobs
We’ll compare three statistical studies conducted in both Romania and Europe. The brands involved are eJobs and BestJobs, as well as Microsoft. In the Romanian job market, more and more attractive jobs are appearing for both juniors and seniors. In the last year, there have been restructurings, office relocations, and transitions to remote work.
How are companies adapting to remote work? Are there risks?
May 2021 managed to bring many remote jobs to the platform. The eJobs study figures record as many as 33,000 new available positions. The percentage increased by 23% compared to April, all due to new measures regarding laws in the country. Employers have resumed their activity, are more enthusiastic, and have more courage to continue or start new businesses. eJobs also received news that 20,000 new candidates opened a personal account in the virtual space. Applications are also encouraging, reaching 1.1 million.
More and more people want to work from home, is it because it’s a trend? Have they really realized that this type of work is more beneficial? Are they more attentive to tasks? How are companies adapting to remote work? Are there risks? What are they? We’ll soon develop this aspect as well. Was it first necessity, and now desire? Are we not talking about an encroachment on private life? Are companies prepared to support a balance between private life and professional life? How are we doing in terms of overtime, working weekends?
There have been cases where people have died due to job exhaustion, because they no longer had a social life, they were simply robots. The whole world knows the concept of Karoshi, which means death caused by work in Japanese. This whole story was concretized by the introduction of this word in the Oxford English Dictionary (CNN 2002). Overwork has become a social problem in many developed countries, which has gathered various studies and interpretations.
What direct benefits does the balance between private and professional life bring?
Have you thought that this aspect brings benefits for both the business and the employee? Yes, everything is a spiral in evolution. Let’s write it down:
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- Increased productivity
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- Lower level of stress, absenteeism, illness
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- Performance and competitiveness
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- Increased morale (Chartered Management Institute Study, 2012)
In a pilot interview given to Coventry University, Christine Grant exposes some insights about the challenges of remote jobs. In the first place, without further discussion as they say, she exposed social isolation.
People are social beings, they need to socialize, so companies would preferably ensure a network and people who are connected, in whom they have trust and with whom they can talk. Communication is at the basis of this process. Everything is virtual, you need IT skills and knowledge, to know very well what you have to do and what tools you use.
Working/not working
Specialists need to consider boundaries, work and personal life, and have a plan for how they want things to be. Some are not bothered by emails outside working hours, so it’s good to know what you want. If you don’t want extra calls, no alerts, laptop, turn them off at the right time. Family and friends should understand when you’re working and when you’re not.
Companies should ensure they pay attention to the employee, so they don’t become invisible, but remain involved, supported, and motivated. Contact with managers is essential, colleagues should be in contact with each other. There can be games you can play with the team to form a bond, connection. The team can meet in groups to promote trust.
Trends and statistics you want to know
Recent studies on remote work in 2024 reveal several key trends and statistics. One notable finding is that 98% of remote workers wish to continue working remotely, at least part-time, for the rest of their careers. This preference is driven by the flexibility and improved work-life balance that remote work offers. Employee satisfaction is consistently higher among remote workers, with 60% reporting increased morale and a reduction in stress and commuting time(Work Well Remote)(FlexOS).
Productivity has increased
Additionally, remote work boosts productivity. Around 66% of managers report that productivity has increased, with only a small minority (2%) seeing a decline(FlexOS). This shift is also financially beneficial: remote employees typically earn $4,000 more annually than their in-office counterparts(Work Well Remote).
However, challenges like burnout persist, with 63% of remote workers reporting mental health issues, particularly among senior leaders. FlexOS). Despite this, organizations continue to embrace remote work, recognizing its long-term value, as reflected by the growing number of hybrid and remote job postings in 2024 (Robert Half).
Microsoft developed a study on a sample of 160,000 employees worldwide and reached the following important conclusions:
A. Over 70% of employees want a flexible, remote schedule to continue.
B. Over 67% want to spend more time face to face with the team
C. 46% of employees would like the idea of moving this year because they have remote jobs from home D. 37% of employees say employers are asking too much during this period.
E. 46% say the employer doesn’t help with expenses for a remote job.
F. 41% of employees would like to leave their current employer this year. Generation Z leads this ranking. (Source: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab)
Prohibit employers from calling or sending messages outside working hours
What laws are being made to prohibit extended working hours. An article published in BBC draws attention to the idea that a law is needed to prohibit employers from calling or sending messages outside working hours.
“The job has become more stressful in the last year,” says Claire Mullaly
“There’s pressure to check emails, participate in video calls, and be available at any time of day, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to draw a line between work and home life.”
Claire is an IT consultant from Ireland. Many members of the Prospect trade union claim that their mental health is compromised and are calling on the government to give employees a legal right to disconnect from work. With this decision, bosses will no longer be allowed to ask you to check an email or answer the phone outside working hours. The right to disconnect has been in the form of law in France for several years, where companies must establish clear hours for telework.
Omar is a bank worker and claims that none of the people he knows can be as productive at home as they are at the office, where they have access to large screens, other technology, and obviously interaction with colleagues. At home, it seems that work takes away from your life. “You’re on the laptop before breakfast,” Omar tells us, then “when you’re at the office you have a whole routine, you buy a coffee, talk to colleagues and sit down at 8:30 or 9am.”
(Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-57314814)