[ad_1]
LONDON: Nearly nine in 10 workers want to be able to choose whether to work from home or from the office once COVID-19 workplace restrictions are eased and they have greater autonomy in their hours, according to research by Cisco Systems .
The pandemic has rapidly changed attitudes towards home work, the research showed, and two-thirds of workers have developed a greater appreciation for the benefits and challenges of doing their work remotely.
Although only 5 percent of respondents worked from home most of the time before closing, now 87 percent of workers wanted the ability to choose where, how and when to work, combining between working in the office and working remotely, Cisco said in a report released Wednesday.
Cisco Vice President Gordon Thomson said companies would have to reconfigure how they operate to help meet new demands from workers, who prioritize effective communication and collaboration above all else.
He said the technology would also be used to ensure employees are safe and their data is safe in their work environment, whether at home or in the office.
This could include, for example, sensors that monitor heating and lighting at a work station at home, or technology that checks for social distancing and whether people wear masks in the office, he said.
“It’s not just about connecting people anymore, it’s about the experience you give people when they are connected,” she said in an interview. “We are investing much more in the analytical piece that is behind connectivity.”
Cisco surveyed 10,000 people in 12 markets in Europe, the Middle East, and Russia for its Workforce of the Future research.
CHECK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments
Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram
