The year 2020 marked the beginning of a necessary shift towards online tools and digital platforms, paving the way for their continued use in 2021. Social media and video calling platforms took on a whole new significance.
Remote work was already a familiar reality in several countries, such as the Netherlands, Finland and Luxembourg, and although this option also existed in Portugal in some companies — particularly international ones — the situation made remote work essential to ensure the continued smooth operation of businesses.
These communication technology platforms allow people to connect with one another from anywhere in the world through video transmission. There are several platform options, with Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Google Meet among the most widely used. With the right equipment, employees from the same company can communicate and work together in real time, even when they are in completely different locations.
The pandemic helped challenge the well-known myth that working remotely, away from the traditional workplace, offered no benefits to either companies or employees. Today, however, many organisations recognise the advantages of this working model, largely thanks to the online meeting platforms that made working from home possible.
Many professionals believe that their productivity and efficiency increased while working remotely because of greater flexibility in working hours, which made time management easier, as well as the increased autonomy many experienced by working in a more comfortable environment.
Advantages of Remote Work
- Cost reduction – As travelling to the workplace is no longer necessary, employees save money on fuel or public transport. Companies also reduce costs by saving on office space, electricity and other expenses associated with providing employees with a physical workplace.
- Time optimisation – Time previously spent commuting is freed up, allowing professionals to devote more time to their tasks and become more productive.
- Easier interaction – The only essential requirements for online meetings are a good internet connection and a suitable device, making it possible to maintain constant and immediate contact and to see all meeting participants, even when everyone is at home.
Because the change happened so suddenly, most employees and employers initially did not have the necessary conditions to work from home.
Examples include the lack of suitable technological equipment, the absence of a comfortable workspace, or the fact that all family members were in lockdown, making it difficult to balance everything. This revealed some initial difficulties with remote work, largely because it was not yet a common working culture in Portugal.
However, a study completed in May found that productivity increased for 44% of Portuguese workers who worked from home during the general lockdown in March and April 2020, while 96% of respondents said they would like to continue having the option of remote work in the future.
As a result, almost a year later, it is safe to say that many Portuguese people would like to retain the option of remote work even when it is no longer required as a public health measure, suggesting that a hybrid reality combining both office-based and remote work may become common in many roles where this is possible.
