Survey: One in five wants to work more remotely after the corona crisis

It has become more popular to work elsewhere than in the workplace.

During the first six months before the corona crisis hit Sweden, one in four employed workers (26 percent) worked at least half a day a week at a distance or from home.

But during the period March to the end of May, that proportion had increased to almost four in ten (36 percent), according to DN, which publishes the survey.

Almost one in five (19 percent) want to continue working remotely to a greater extent after the crisis than they did before, the survey shows.

And these are the digital tools they mention - video conferencing and meetings via the computer and the phone. But tools are not new. They were used before, but the crisis is accelerating development.

- Now we do it in a whole new way. It has become obvious to us to use it in a different way than before, ”says Erik Wästlund, associate professor of psychology at DN.

He believes it will lead to lasting changes. Digital meetings will become much more common in the future. This is especially true of meetings that require longer journeys.

- It will be a matter of course, and it will also come as no surprise when someone says they want to do it, Wästlund believes.

The metropolitan regions stand out. There, more than every other (52 percent) worked from home or remotely during March to April. This can be compared to just over every three (36 percent) during the period September to February.

There are also more people who want to work more remotely after the crisis. More than one-fourth (28 percent) want to work more remotely, compared to 14 percent who want to work less remotely.

The most common explanation for people being positive about telework is that they do not have to travel and commute. Metropolitan residents tend to have the longest commuting times, says DN.

There are also risks with working from home, says university lecturer Johan Alfonsson at the Department of Sociology and Work Science at the University of Gothenburg.

- The big risk is the social support, he tells DN.