After a year that turned our lives upside down with lockdowns, working from home and generally adjusting to a new way of life, society is starting to open up again and our working lives may be returning to normal. But what is the right strategy for companies to successfully reopen?
At MyDesk, we are very concerned about this issue. We would like to invite companies to carefully consider how they can best organize their work structures according to the needs of the individual. For example, if an employee has embraced working from home and even thrives on it, should they be forced back into the office? Many companies have found over the past year that the ‘good old’ way of doing things is no longer feasible and they have been forced to adapt to the new situation.
Dilemma for workplaces
If a company has had a policy of consistent office hours for all employees, and that remote working is not something that ‘we use here’, this transition may have been a major upheaval. Workplaces are now faced with a dilemma: do they go back to the same old patterns, or do they try to adapt to be prepared for new realities?
In a new survey conducted by IT supplier Atea in collaboration with the research institute YouGov, 844 Danes who are employed and have worked from home since March 2020 were asked about their attitudes towards remote work. The study shows that the hybrid work model, combining office and home working, is the way forward for reopening. 68% believe that the workplace should offer the option to work from home more than pre-COVID, and 31% would be fine with never being physically present in the workplace. 37% even say they are more efficient when working from home.
Desire for homework
51% say they would work on average two to three days a week from home if they could choose, and 36% want to work from home +3 days a week. 62% also want to hold at least half of their meetings online in the future. Modern work tasks can often be completed wherever the employee is, as long as they have access to the internet and an internal system. With MyDesk, the employee communicates from where they do their work e.g. via Android or IOS. There is no ambiguity as to where the person is located and what their working conditions are. It is up to the company to ensure the necessary working conditions for employees, whether they work in the office or at home.
A major benefit of flexible workplaces is improved work-life balance, which is also demonstrated in the study. 51% responded that since the lockdown in March 2020, they have had a more flexible workday with a better work-life balance, with the absence of travel time being seen as particularly positive. However, 37% say that working from home has made it difficult for them to separate their work and personal life.
For remote working to work, it’s necessary to build strong routines and clear lines for when you’re ‘at work’ and when you’re off. One tip is to have a room or area in your home dedicated to work, where you spend a set amount of time each day. That way, you’ll get used to associating this area and time with work, and you’ll be able to take time off with a clear conscience.
Individual prerequisites and needs
For employers, the challenge will be to restructure organizations to fit the individual’s capabilities and needs. For some employees, working from home will continue to be the best fit, for others it will be the office, and others may want to alternate between the two. Depending on their task types, the working conditions they need, such as access to quiet zones or areas for group-based work, will also vary.
Providing the necessary tools can increase employee satisfaction and effort, and employees will feel respected and accommodated in the workplace. the nature of their work and how they do it best. With MyDesk, companies can create floor plans that can be divided into areas for specific purposes, such as quiet or group work. The employee books in advance, so they are guaranteed a spot in the zone that suits their work tasks.
At MyDesk, we applaud the hybrid working model and believe that individualized work structures are the way forward for the modern company, such as Codan.
Contact CEO Michael Ries – T: 40279941/ E: mr@mydesk.io for a quote and learn more about how MyDesk can also help your business move forward.
