'Yes' to work from home; survey finds that not even 15% Europeans want to go back to office
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According to the survey, two-thirds of Europeans have made - or intend to make - home improvements in order to ease hybrid living, such as creating office spaces in their houses
More than half of European workers say they are more productive in their work, thanks to the boom in work from home following the COVID-19 restrictions, a survey showed on Thursday.
As per the survey results, only about 14 per cent of workers want to return to the office for their 9-5 jobs. This survey of 14,000 people across Europe also found that 83 per cent of workers are seeking help from their employers in terms of support in balancing work and home responsibilities.
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The survey, commissioned by Samsung Electronics and the consultancy The Future Laboratory, also found that "hybrid working" - a mix of working at home and at the office - also has its downsides. More than a quarter of respondents feel like they worked all hours or into the night when hybrid working was in place.
Eurostat data show that approximately 12 per cent of employed people in the European Union typically worked from home in 2020, compared to less than 5 per cent before the pandemic.
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"With presenteeism now an outdated concept, employers need to think carefully about how they meet the demands of modern hybrid living," Benjamin Braun, vice president for Samsung Europe, said in a statement.
According to the survey, two-thirds of Europeans have made - or intend to make - home improvements in order to ease hybrid living, such as creating office spaces in their houses, while 41 per cent have moved houses for this purpose.
The survey of the world's largest memory chip and smartphone manufacturer found that 51 per cent said technology was useful for setting boundaries, such as mobile alarms and time management apps.
"We are likely to see tech stepping in to monitor our mental health and happiness as much as our physical health, with smart devices becoming our wellbeing assistants," said Meik Wiking, chief executive of Denmark's Happiness Research Institute, which is collaborating with Samsung on the future of work.