Teleworking is usually synonymous with conciliation, but not always with a lower workload. According to a recent Kaspersky survey of 4,303 IT workers worldwide, 51% of Spanish employees has experienced an increase in workload since moving to remote work, and 14% describe it as significant. 46% have not noticed changes in the volume of work and only 4% have observed a decrease.
In 2020, the digitization of interactions of employees. However, at the beginning of lockdowns, 82% of managers worldwide were concerned that the rapid transfer to telecommuting would lead to lower productivity and 69% of employees stated that telecommuting adversely affected their your emotional state. As we approach the end of the second year of the pandemic, Kaspersky has reassessed the implications of telecommuting for IT and telecommunications workers.
Although the survey reveals that more than half of the Spanish employees in this sector experienced an increase in workload, 75% of those surveyed do not feel more exhausted at the end of the day from a distance. In fact, 43% declared that they had more energy working from home, and 33% did not notice any difference between the two modalities.
Regarding the emotional stability, remote work has been well received among Spanish employees: 79% say they feel more comfortable working remotely or have not noticed an increase in anxiety due to overtime, while 49% of respondents even felt more comfortable working from home.
But at the same time, there is still a significant percentage of employees who felt discomfort when being distanced from their colleagues, since 25% of the Spanish respondents said they felt more tired and 21% declared that they had more anxiety when working from home.
Hybrid model
A solution that is proving very well received among the templates is the hybrid model. About 40% of the companies surveyed in Spain planned to switch to this format in mid-2021.
Another well-valued solution is the application of wellness programs. The good news is that many companies are taking up the challenge of looking for ways to help manage possible burnout. In fact, 79% of the companies surveyed in Spain are investing in training courses to improve basic skills, such as time management and control (27%).
Companies also provide benefits, such as paid time off or additional annual leave (23%), and they offer online wellness consultations and courses (35%). However, the report indicates that there is still work to be done to mitigate the increased workload among remote workers. Only 44% of organizations have taken at least one practical measure, such as automating security operations or hiring additional staff to deal with employee burnout.
“Today, employee well-being is the goal of many organizations. Unfortunately, when it comes to developing a wellness program, there is no one-size-fits-all solution, as its success depends on the needs of all employees. Such programs may include counseling and mindfulness practices, fitness programs, and legal and financial consultation services to help employees cope with negative life situations. However, it is crucial to create a culture that makes employees feel comfortable talking about their emotional state or their problems with their direct managers or with Human Resources “, says Marina Alekseeva, Kaspersky Human Resources Director.
“At Kaspersky, we are proud to have built such a culture. Last year we introduced climate surveys to assess how our employees feel and how we can help them. We have also implemented various wellness, fitness and psychological support services and created a platform dedicated to digital relaxation: Cyber Spa, which helps both our employees and the external public to relax and take a break during their busy days ».
