from mid-March to mid-May 2020, in eight European countries namely; Denmark, Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Netherland.
The aim of the study was to find out the pros and cons of working from home and the conditions affecting the well-being and efficiency of employees while working from home.
The researchers found that people in the age group of 18 to 30 years scored significantly high on work/life balance as compared to those above the age of 31 years.
The younger group had issues with ‘unpredictability about the work’ while the older group had a problem with ‘inadequate tools’.
There are six important factors that significantly affect the efficiency and well-being of remote work in European knowledge workers. Some of these factors are advantageous and some are disadvantageous for the employees working from home, according to the DTU research.
Advantages of Working from Home (Remote Work)
Majority of people thought that working from home is beneficial on following grounds:
- Better work/life balance Increased efficiency due to fewer distractions, meetings, etc.
- Increased control on their work, less interferences, taking breaks whenever required
Disadvantages of Working from Home (Remote Work)
The benefits of working from home are outweighed by the following three main disadvantages:
- Unavoidable shortcomings of the home office such as spending more time in front of screen, isolation, etc
- Uncertain tasks like unexciting tasks, which tasks to solve first, less interest in work, etc.
- Inadequate tools-such as non-availability of documents, printers, scanners, etc.
Associate Professor at DTU Management Christine Ipsen, said: “Before companies and organizations make new plans for the scope of remote work, it’s important to remember that people experience the pros and cons very differently. In other words, it is not a given that everyone feels positive about working from home or have the same challenges. By analyzing the employees’ experiences based on the six factors we identified, management can get an overview of what to keep in mind and when to take action in relation to different employee groups.”
Reference :
- Six factors that determine success when working from home – (https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-04/tuod-sft042621.php)
Source: Medindia
