People Working from Home

Prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, many corporate employees felt that working from home was a treat, but how are people feeling now that they have no choice but to work from home?

Are you feeling connected enough to your superiors and team members? Are you feeling more or less productive? Are your stress levels heightened as you try to balance your work and home life at the same time, in the same space?

Before COVID-19 was detected in Australia a third of the country’s population was regularly working from home but in May 2020, during the peak of Australia’s first wave of coronavirus, almost half of the population was primarily working from home and this remains in place as everyone who CAN work from home MUST work from home.

Results from a OnePoll survey that queried 1,000 office workers working from home revealed:

80% 

of respondents believe working from home will be more common post the recovery period of COVID-19.

50%

Almost 50% are working more productively during the time they would usually spend commuting to and from work.

32%

are more focused because they are less distracted by colleagues.

70%

believe they have been more productive working from home than they otherwise would have been in an office environment.

36%

feel less stressed.

35%

said they prefer traditional job roles involving working from the office five days per week.

COVID-19 is a catalyst to redesigning the future of work, and create opportunities for organisations and leaders to look at things differently. 

The working from home trend could prove to be much more enduring than the pandemic, permanently changing Australia’s working culture, as working from home is likely to become a core part of the new normal.

There’s no blueprint for what we’re currently enduring and business leaders around the globe are adapting strategies to keep up. In addition to enhancing digital skills and improving infrastructure, it is vital that leaders focus on empathy as transformation and disruptions become the new norm.

Leaders need to proactively equip their teams with not just physical resources, but skills, mindsets, behaviours and values, that are vital in establishing strong and supportive foundations for remote working. Teams need to be more adaptive and stay constantly connected. Control has to some extent given way to trust, and people are learning how to do work disparately and with far less oversight. Be patient, be understanding and offer guidance and support where possible.

Please keep safe and stay connected, it is important to be mindful of everyone’s situation during these times.