End of working hours from 9 to 6 in the evening? Spain is the country where most people think so

Spain is the country where the perception that traditional work with hours from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. has ended forever has been strengthened the most. This is stated by 42% of the Spanish interviewees compared to a general average that in the rest of the countries remains at 26%, according to a recent survey.

Similarly, 32% of Spanish workers have indicated that the possibility of working two days remotely and three in the office is the

This study is the result of a survey carried out among 7,261 hybrid workers from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Sweden, Poland and the United Arab Emirates in addition to Spain by , a company that produces products for video calls and teleworking.

The report examines how attitudes and behaviors have evolved: from work patterns and culture to frustration and noise to the way we dress.

8 out of 10 employees would like to telecommute at least one day

Research suggests that the hybrid work model is here to stay. 82% of those surveyed would like to telecommute at least one day a week in the future and 54% say they would prefer to split their time equally between home and the office.

As far as the benefits are concerned, the reduction of expenses, both in economic terms and in terms of time, has turned out to be one of the main advantages of hybrid work for the majority of Spaniards. In fact, 40% of those surveyed in our country have highlighted the time savings in terms of commuting that flexible work entails, while around 34% have highlighted the benefits in terms of monetary expenses that this way of working offers.

Likewise, more than a third of the interviewees (28%) have underlined the possibility of spending more time with their own family thanks to flexible work, as well as the increase in productivity (28%).

From the point of view of the problems that this new way of working can cause, the greatest concern of the Spanish has turned out to be the fine line that separates the concept of flexibility from being always connected. This was stated by 28% of those interviewed, who highlighted being concerned about the possibility that remote work is perceived as constant availability and without interruptions.

On the other hand, also the lack of moments of camaraderie with colleagues, which has been proven to help relieve stress, reduce boredom and improve collaboration, is one of the elements that is most missing with hybrid work. followed by the lack of more efficient technologies when working from home.

Goodbye to the usual schedule?

One of the trends of this transition is the emergence of “flexibility in the way of working”, with which employees have greater autonomy over when to do their work. Two-thirds of employees (69%) said the 9-6 fixed-hour model has been replaced by more flexible work.

In this sense, when asked about the advantages of teleworking, the three main answers were: avoid long journeys; achieve a better balance between personal and professional life; and feel less stressed. Similarly, when asked what they would miss about working from home, the answers were: stay in bed a little longer, spend more time with family and finish the workday on time.

However, although many workers have benefited, telecommuting has not been an easy transition for everyone. There are concerns that the lines between flexible working and being “always on” are blurring: in fact, more than half of workers (58%) perceive that the rise of remote work has meant that they are constantly connected, unable to relax or Completely disconnect from your professional tasks.

On the other hand, the second biggest drawback of teleworking (only behind not being able to share leisure time with colleagues) is that they are expected to work outside of their working hours.

Hybrid work also brings difficulties

Lack of IT support and lack of the right equipment for remote work are among the top five drawbacks of telecommuting, suggesting that many employees don’t have the right tools to work effectively.

Nearly half of those surveyed (47%) were concerned about missing out on learning from their more senior peers by telecommuting.

Another 52% believe that hybrid or telecommuting workers could be discriminated against or treated differently than employees who return to spending all day in the office.

In addition, 52% of workers in the bracket up to the age of 24 are concerned that telecommuting will have a negative impact on their career development and progression, compared to an average of 43%.