How remote work changed the way we do business

We have been living with Covid-19 for more than a year, which has forced us to completely change the way we live. From our social relationships to the way we work, it marked a before and after for everyone.

Companies had to adapt to the situation overnight. For most, the only option to keep operating was remote work. From one day to the next, offices were empty and everyone had to work from their computer at home.

01How to work remotely

Cloud platforms were essential for remote work, such as Google Workspace or Microsoft 365. Although they were already in use before the pandemic, their use became intensive once remote work became widespread at the start of the pandemic.

These platforms have various tools that let you create documents and reports, send and receive emails, make video calls and presentations, share files, communicate through real-time chats and countless other features. All this gave most companies the ability to adapt naturally to this new situation.

Some companies already had unified intranet software allowing their employees to work remotely efficiently. Others, like Microsoft, decided to develop them at the start of the pandemic and ended up bringing them to market, as with Viva. Their aim was to improve the remote work experience and fill the gaps for employees working from home.

Great importance was placed on keeping the exchange of information constant and smooth, and on maintaining contact between all team members to keep up the working dynamic.

02Benefits brought by the arrival of remote work

Despite the chaos caused by the pandemic, many people appreciated the benefits they gained from working at home. We can highlight the following:

• A better work-life balance. For example, fathers and mothers who spent every day at the office had more time to spend with their children. The time saved on commuting made it possible to do things such as having breakfast or lunch quietly with the family, things that in a normal situation might have been impossible on a daily basis.
• More flexible hours. In many companies, results-based evaluation is starting to be valued more. The physical system of supervision and control was abandoned, and what matters is that in the end the work is done and the goals are reached. This gave many employees more flexibility in organising their work and their rest time.
• Work from anywhere. Many people who lived far from their families for work were able to go home and work remotely from there. On the other hand, a significant percentage of people living in cities saw compulsory remote work as an opportunity to move to the mountains, the countryside or the coast, and live more peacefully during the pandemic.

03How to work effectively from home

It is true that remote work made life easier for many employees, but we cannot ignore the negative effects it had on a large share of the people who worked remotely during the pandemic.

Burnout was unfortunately the norm in this situation. Overwork and the impossibility of disconnecting led many people to suffer excessive stress, with devastating consequences for mental and physical health.

To work effectively from home, it is important to consider a number of aspects:

• Have a specific, isolated workspace. This avoids distractions such as family members and pets. Ideally, have a room prepared exclusively for this purpose, with a desk where all the equipment is within reach and a comfortable chair that lets you spend several hours sitting without getting tired.
• Keep the work routine you had. Respecting working hours and breaks helps maintain the working dynamic and our productivity. It also helps to take off the pyjamas and put on the clothes we would normally wear to work, to keep a working mindset.
• Rest and exercise. Not working more than the necessary hours is very important to be able to disconnect and avoid burnout. After the working day, go out to exercise or take a walk and get some fresh air.

04Changes in the working model for the future

Currently, the most widespread working model is the hybrid model. Most companies in Spain opted for this model after lockdown, when some health measures were lifted.

This hybrid model consists of splitting an office's staff and alternating periods of office work with periods of remote work, so that offices are less crowded and can implement pandemic safety measures more effectively.

This led many companies to rethink what their working model will be from now on. They realised that the vast majority of their employees are trained in technology and that considerable changes could be made to the way they do business.

At Fonvirtual, we believe remote work is here to stay, because of the many benefits it has brought to both employees and companies. But it is true that in the future, maintaining a 100% remote working model would not be the most feasible solution either, because we are, after all, social beings, and face-to-face interaction cannot always be replaced by technology.