Smartworking: lights and shadows

Since the pandemic, remote work has been consistently told as the best way to feel good mentally and physically. But the reality, he writes Bbc, is more complicated. For some workers, smartworking has been the panacea for all the ills typical of our fast-paced, pre-pandemic lives. It has meant, for example, the opportunity to spend more time with one’s children, perhaps stopping commuting and using the free hours to pursue more fulfilling hobbies.

New research on remote work, however, has shown mixed results. In
New Future of Work Report 2022
by Microsoft, researchers found that remote work, although it can improve people’s overall satisfaction, can also lead employees to feel socially isolated.

It’s not all gold

The negative effects of smartworking have come as a real surprise to some workers, who are now more aware that remote work is not necessarily synonymous with well-being. Contrary to the current narrative, which has often spoken of a mass demand for smartworking, many employees are actually choosing to move into roles that involve time in the office.

According to a
study
of 2022 by PwC, 11 percent of U.S. workers would prefer to work full-time in the office, and 62 percent said they would like to spend at least some time in attendance. Other data suggest that up to 80 percent of UK workers believe that working from home has a negative impact on their mental health.

Generation Z

Several researches, in fact, show how people who work remotely spend more hours at their desks. Moreover, isolation is not the only problem. A survey showed that 81% of under-35s fear loneliness due to smartworking, with high levels of stress and anxiety.

Suffering the most are mainly young millennials and Generation Z workers, i.e., those who have recently entered the workforce and have not yet experienced the benefits of having a quiet and dedicated workspace in the office (
Bbc
). Meanwhile, companies are working to adapt to these changes, but the transition to remote work is far from simple, and many companies are considering how to design a work model that works for everyone.