The epidemic of the Covid-19 coronavirus is generating, like a butterfly effect, a trail of victims and negative consequences in many economic sectors that go beyond the purely health sector. However, looking at the other side of the coin, it can be said that some of the measures it is causing can serve as an immense test laboratory. And when I say this I am thinking, for example, of the recommendation by governments around the world to work from home to avoid contagion. Millions of employees performing their tasks remotely will be a great experiment to analyse on a large scale the pros and cons of this increasingly supported way of working, but which, of course, also has its detractors.
In Spain, only around 8% of employees practice teleworking, although it is a modality preferred by 69%, both figures according to data provided by temporary employment agencies, which also indicate that the age group that most requests it is those between 25 and 45 years old, i.e. generation X and millennials, followed by those under 25 years old. These are therefore the youngest groups in the world of work. However, according to the survey, even the support of the working generations who are less committed to this type of work far exceeds 50%.
But nowadays, teleworking is an understatement. The most innovative companies in the management of their human resources are going one step further. Thus, they are putting into practice trends such as Smart Working, with origins in the Anglo-Saxon world, which is much more than simply working from home. It can be said that it is almost a philosophy of human resources management that seeks to obtain the highest returns by making available to workers all the tools that the company has at its disposal. It should be pointed out that, from a technical point of view, what allows this to be put into practice are technological advances, which facilitate work activities not only from the living room, but also from any place where, for example, inspiration can be found (public transport, cafeterias, etc.). Whereas, from a labour relations perspective, for it to work, there is no doubt that there must be a real and genuine willingness on the part of the company, as well as full confidence in its staff. And, of course, the serious commitment of the latter.
From my experience, I can say that the organisation of human capital is evolving more and more towards the search for well-being and quality of life, and all those companies that want to attract and keep the best talent must offer flexible work programmes that favour the reconciliation of schedules with family life, adapting to the different needs, but also with training, sports, self-care and leisure activities. However, it must be made clear that employees who join this type of modality must do so on a completely voluntary basis, as there are companies in which up to four generations coexist, with their respective life spans, and remote work cannot be imposed on those who prefer to come to the office.
That said, my opinion is that the ideal is to opt for mixed models, in which some days you work remotely and others you go to the workplace, always in a flexible way to combine the preferences of individuals with the needs of the projects. This option favours team integration better than working continuously at a distance, generates more commitment and avoids the feeling of disconnection that occurs in pure teleworking models. The correct functioning requires, especially in large companies, that there is always perfect supervision by the team managing the work-life balance within the company's Human Resources team.
If all of the above is implemented correctly, our experience is that it favours co-responsibility at home and in childcare, reduces stress levels, favours a good working environment, happiness and employee commitment, as well as increasing productivity and, therefore, benefits the company's business. Because, in short, the focus is more on performance than on presenteeism. It remains to be seen whether the analyses of the forced teleworking experience caused by the coronavirus will add more benefits, or detriments, to those that those of us who have been practising it for years are already seeing.
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Alicia Sanchez
Human Resources Director at Altran Spain