The advantages of the home office
During the Corona crisis, Statista surveyed over 2,000 German employees working from home about the advantages of working from home. In 2021, more than 76 percent stated that working from home saved a lot of time for commuting to work. In addition, 73 percent agreed that staying at home made it easier for them to combine work and family life. The work-life balance should also be better managed in the home office. 68 percent said that at home they were able to distribute their working hours more flexibly throughout the day. This means, for example, that sport can be practiced in the afternoon and work continued in the evening. According to their own statements, 63 percent of those surveyed also work more productively in their home office than at a normal workplace in the office or in the company. In general, according to Statista, around 61 percent of employees find working from home to be more pleasant than working in the company.
The disadvantages of the home office
However, the home office does not only have advantages. Statista also asked the survey participants about the disadvantages and came to the conclusion that 74 percent of the employees had no contact with their colleagues in the home office. 45 percent also stated that they find it difficult to clearly separate work and private life within their own four walls. 39 percent even said that their work in the home office is affected because they cannot talk to colleagues or supervisors at short notice. According to 35 percent of the employees, another impairment comes about because access to important documents, files or other work materials is either difficult or even impossible in the home office.
Do employees want to go back to the office?
With the expiry of the home office obligation, employees can no longer avoid going back to the office, unless the employer sets other regulations for their own company. But how do employees now feel about returning to work, where the corona pandemic is just picking up speed again? Since around three-quarters of those surveyed in 2021 said that working from home saved them a lot of time on their way to work, many commuters are likely to be on the road again once the obligation to work from home is abolished. In the current situation, this is likely to displease employees for several reasons. Apart from the time required, the risk of infection is currently particularly high in local public transport due to the high incidence values. According to heise online, about a third of the Germans surveyed by YouGov in February 2022 are said to have a moderate to great fear of becoming infected with the omicron variant. If you now avoid public transport and, for example, set off by car yourself, the high petrol prices are likely to have a significant impact on your wallet. For commuters, the return to the office comes at the worst possible time.
According to heise online, many home office workers have also recently invested in furniture and equipment for their own offices. In 2021, Germans are said to have spent an estimated 3.7 billion euros on desks, desk chairs, bookshelves and filing cabinets. That is about seven percent more than the year before. With the end of the home office obligation, some of the purchased furniture is likely to become superfluous again, even if working from home will not die out entirely. For people who, according to their own statements, are better able to combine family and career in their home office or who have been able to develop a more pleasant work-life balance, a period of more flexible working is also coming to an end. Only the closer contact with colleagues, the clearer separation between job and private life and access to important documents return when going to the office.
According to Statista, in June 2020, 48 percent of the home office employees surveyed said they would like to work from home as often after the Corona crisis as they did during the pandemic. 39 percent said that they would prefer to work less from home after the pandemic and 13 percent would like to return to the office completely after the crisis is over.
Nicolas Flohr / Editor finanzen.net
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