Working From Home is a permanent phenomenon that will not disappear completely, even after the coronavirus pandemic is over. Many people indicate that they will continue to work at least partly from home even after the pandemic, although how may remain a challenge, according to the new Working From Home report from Telecompaper for Q4, which noted that home workplaces are often not ergonomic and security not as tight as at the office.
Working from home only an option for 40%
First of all, it is important to note that working from home is only an option for about 40 percent of the working population. It is not an option for certain professions and in sectors. Also, people who work with a contract for limited hours are less likely to work from home if they have to show up at the office.
Among those currently working from home, the vast majority expect to still do so after the crisis, even if only for a limited part of their contract hours. Only 15 percent of those now working from home expect not to after the pandemic; 85 percent will continue to work partly from home, even if only for one day a week. Just over half (55%) worked from home at least four days per week in the quarter. This could shrink to just 15 percent after the pandemic. A quarter work from home for one or two days; this will increase to half.
These numbers are important for decisionmakers involved in facilitating the work-from-home workforce. Even if employees are only at home for part of their time, they must still have a complete workplace, with the necessary equipment and access and including (mobile) telephone subscriptions. Compensation for this would therefore be appropriate. However, this is not common: of those surveyed, 86 percent indicated that they do not receive compensation.
Few ergonomic workplaces
Working from home has many consequences, such as on work-life balance. The travel time for commuting is largely gone. On the other hand, working conditions are not always ideal. Around 15 percent of people said they work with a laptop on their kitchen table. Self-employed people scored best in the field of ergonomics: 34 percent of them said they have a well-equipped, ergonomic workplace. In large companies (500+), this was only 21 percent. In many cases the circumstances (ergonomics, space, tranquility) can be improved. Not everyone can create a complete workplace in a study or attic.
From a telecom perspective, connectivity is paramount. For most, this includes Wi-Fi: as many as 75 percent of home workers worked with a wireless connection, with quality not guaranteed to the farthest corners of the house. Wi-Fi boosters are a good solution for this and internet providers are fully committed to this. However, the use of Wi-Fi extenders was not yet high: only 21 percent of the home workers who use Wi-Fi did so in Q4 with an amplifier. This option was the most popular among Ziggo customers: 22 percent of the Ziggo customers surveyed indicated that they use an extender. Customers of KPN (21%) and T-Mobile Netherlands (18%) used Wi-Fi boosters less often.
Ziggo was the most popular fixed provider among people who work from home, while T-Mobile NL had the most customers in the mobile segment. KPN was also very popular among homeworkers: 40 percent said they were customers, just behind Ziggo with 41 percent. Among both homeworkers and non-homeworkers, KPN had 31 percent of customers, with Ziggo holding 43 percent. KPN was also relatively popular among home workers in the mobile segment (31% among home workers vs 23% for all workers). With 38 percent, KPN was the most popular mobile provider among home workers of large companies. It could be that KPN appeals more to the relatively prosperous home working audience.
Almost half of home workers did not use a VPN, Team was most used communication software
The private use of computers and telephones leads to increased risks. Corporate networks are well protected against intruders. A subscription to an advanced firewall and other tools is not an obvious choice for consumers. Using VPNs for secure access to corporate networks is one solution. But its use is not yet where it should be: 48 percent of home workers said they didn't use a VPN. The use of VPNs was not high among freelancers (24%) and employees of smaller companies (1-50 employees), with 40 percent. Larger companies (FTE 500+) performed better here, with 69 percent. The most popular VPN software was Citrix with 28 percent, followed by Cisco with 14 percent.
In terms of communication, Microsoft Teams was by far the most widely used video calling software: 58 percent of home workers stayed in contact with colleagues with Teams. Skype (26%) and Zoom (25%) followed at a considerable distance. Among freelancers, Teams was not the most used, making place for Zoom.
