The pandemic seems to have changed the way work in Spain. Many office workers have had to work from home and this has become the norm. Companies believed that flexible working would be the future while reducing the need for office space. However, in reality, most workers in Spain have returned to their offices and working from home is still rare.
According to the latest data released by the Eurostat Eurostat Nearly 89% of Spanish employees will not work from home a single day in 2023. Only 6% worked from home regularly, and 5% did so occasionally. These figures show that Spain is one of the European countries that is lagging behind most in implementing working from home.
During the pandemic, bosses and employees have had to work from home to continue performing their duties. Then companies introduced the idea of working from home, which seemed like the perfect solution. The idea was that this would depopulate city centres, free workers from long commutes, and encourage the development of new technologies in the workplace. However, in practice little of this has been achieved.
He. She Work from home (Spanish: teletrabajar) It certainly had benefits, such as more flexibility and a better work-life balance for some. However, drawbacks also appeared. Many employees miss the personal contact with their colleagues and the informal conversations that typically take place in the office. Additionally, it can be difficult to separate work and private life when you are constantly working from home.
It also appears that the exodus from city centers is not as large as expected. Many companies want to return to a hybrid form of working, where employees work partly at home and partly in the office. This is because collaboration and creativity often flourish best in a physical work environment. In short, the idea of fully working from home as the holy grail has not yet been fully realized.
In Spain there is a total of only 11% of employees who work fully or partially from home, a ridiculously low number compared to the Eurozone average of 21.6%. The Netherlands, the leader in this area, has approximately 48% of employees working from home in some way, temporarily or permanently.
There are significant regional differences in the extent of working from home in Spain. In regions such as Madrid, Barcelona and the Basque Country, where many service companies are located, the proportion of people working from home is higher than the national average. But in industrial areas with many construction companies and factories, working from home is hardly viable.
According to the annual report on working from home WorkMeter Spanish employees are 5% more focused when working from home (71% compared to 66% in the office). the reasons? More comfort, more flexible working hours, and a greater sense of independence. There are more unexpected meetings in the office, and conversations with colleagues can last forever. In addition, there is the long and often tiring commute to work.
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