Humphrey CarterPalma05/11/2020 09:46
TW
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Civil servants and other employees have been put on a war footing to be ready to either work in bubble or work from home again as the region does its best to avoid introducing home confinements. For years, there has been government talk about bringing an end to the traditional siesta at lunch time in order to ensure that Spanish companies are working in line with the rest of Europe, but the pandemic has thrown working habits on their head. Teleworking could be the key word for business activity in 2021.

The COVID-19 health crisis has forced companies to adapt to the “new reality” by digitising their processes and promoting remote work for their employees. According to a recent study by the Bank of Spain, 30.6% of all jobs could be performed in teleworking, reaching 60% in the range of skilled occupations. So, a quick midday snooze could still form part of the working day. But there’s more to it than that - it’s will mean a major change in the philosophy of working.

From a personal view, probably because of the nature of the industry I work in which depends greatly on communications, talking to people and real face time, I would prefer to be in my office. Apart from the contact with the local community and outside world, I would miss the buzz of a newsroom and my colleagues and the banter, which has to be healthier than working alone from home. For many, it may be a suitable option, but I think it could damage the soul of society.