A year ago, the coronavirus suddenly invaded our lives and our daily lives, and with it, just as suddenly and rather extortionately, teleworking invaded, without, however, most of us being prepared, nor trained in this new working condition. Although, teleworking was more prevalent in the United States and in Northern and Western Europe than in Central, Southern and Eastern Europe, the global health crisis has come to change the data. It is indicative that in the year 2021 60% of the workforce in Europe, works through teleworking. But, what is teleworking?
Teleworking or distance work is a form of employment, according to which an employee has the opportunity to work in the place, where he/she wants and not necessarily in the offices of the company, in which he/she works, and the hours where he / she do not serve. Employees, usually, choose their home as their place of work, but some opt to work in office rental or dining areas. In the first case the employees are called teleworkers, while in the second nomad’s employees or internet passengers.
It is worth emphasizing that teleworking is directly linked to the development of technology (computers, mobile phones, internet, etc.), as without it, it would not be possible. For this reason, teleworking as a form of employment can’t be applied to all professions. For instance, a doctor cannot diagnose a patient with a computer, nor can a car mechanic repair a car from home. On the other hand, a computer programmer or a business consultant can work from home. Consequently, teleworking is not aimed at manual professions or where there is a direct connection with other people, but at service and technical professions.
Teleworking, of course, has its supporters and critics based on the pros and cons it brings. The positive elements of telework are:
- People with disabilities, the self-employed, new mothers, retirees and people living in remote areas are given the opportunity to work and often full time.
- Enterprises are given the opportunity to expand their services and client list, but, also, to seek talent without geographical restrictions.
- Employees are more focused on their work and more creative resulting in being more productive and more efficient.
- Employees can choose their workplace (e.g. balcony, garden and living room), their work clothes (e.g. uniform) and their working schedule (e.g. morning or afternoon).
- A better quality of life is created, as the employee balances his / her personal with his / her working life.
- It saves time and money, as people do not have to move to and from the company’s offices, where they work. A direct consequence of this is the reduction of traffic congestion, pollution, energy, fuel and accidents.
- The lack of coordination in Enterprises and Public Transport has as a result the diminution of the spread of diseases, but, also, of the terrorist attacks.
On the other hand, the negative aspects of teleworking are:
- The lack of social interaction of the employees with colleagues and senior executives in the workplace raises questions about the organization, recognition and evaluation of work, the guidance and exchange of information, the professional and salary development, the loss of privileges and allowances, but, also, the communication and connection between employees.
- The lack of technological equipment, such as laptops, software, access to communication.
- The digital insecurity, as business data can be stolen or lost.
- The difficulty of distinguishing between personal and professional life, as many work without a specific schedule.
- The combination of personal and work life for people, who have a family, as the coexistence of telework with eLearning or coexistence with young children becomes very difficult.
- The decrease of self-care, as many stop paying attention to their sleep, diet and appearance.
Both the advantages and the disadvantages of teleworking are important, but not all apply to everyone. For example, an introverted computer programmer would prefer teleworking to an extroverted book sales consultant. A professional consultant, living in Dimitsana of Arcadia, would rather work online than work as a employee in a hotel in Dimitsana. A math teacher with two young children at home would rather teach in a classroom at a school than through a computer at home, while at the same time, he/she should be taking care of his / her children. A young mother, who has a baby of a few months and is a translator, would rather work from home than quit her job. And the examples could go on indefinitely.
From the above, it is understood that the object of work, marital status, place of residence, personality of the employee, as well as work culture are important factors in evaluating telework. Therefore, depending on the case, where we examine, telework can be considered positive or negative.
In some cases a hybrid model could be implemented, i.e. employees go to the office some days and work from home on other days. This proposal has received a positive response from many individuals and enterprises, although according to surveys conducted from time to time in European countries, the vast majority of employees wish to return to company offices after the pandemic, while a large minority would like to continue to work from home after the end of the health crisis.
In Greece, the workforce has recognized telework as a form of employment under adverse conditions and for this reason, most Greeks are not in favor of it. However, if we disconnect telework from the coronavirus, implement it with the right infrastructure and conditions and give it a chance, then, perhaps, we will discover, that we have more to gain from it than to lose.
This article contains copyright. Reproduction of all or part of this article may be done with the consent of the author or with reference to the website www.marialykousi.gr. The first publication was made at www.psychology.gr on 03/16/2021.