I recently had a trip to the US.

Although some compulsory wearing remained as when using public transport, it was difficult to find anyone wearing a mask.

As the mask disappeared, at least superficially, it was a step closer to daily life before COVID-19.

There was talk that the wearing of outdoor masks could be lifted even in Korea, so it felt like we were one step ahead of our daily lives.


Are you excited to return to your daily life?

"I don't want to go to work"


Return to daily life after 2 years...

It's exciting to say, but not every day is like that.

This was especially true of my work life.

An acquaintance said that even though virtually all of the corona regulations in the US have been lifted, everyone avoids going to work directly.

From the restaurant and street scene, of course not to worry about Corona.



It may have been a little uncomfortable at first, but he said he was already used to working from home and was reluctant to leave because of the many benefits of telecommuting.

You can think about the cost and time spent commuting to and from work, being free from stress outside of work that you may experience at work, and so on.

In fact, in the United States, it is said that if an employee is asked to come to work at least several times a week as a condition for hiring an employee, the application may even be withdrawn.



How about our country?

Until last year, when social distancing was strict, there was a joke about money saying that it was the difference between the United States and Korea.

'In the US, I don't just go to the company and do everything', while 'In Korea, I refrain from all external activities, but the company goes out.'

Although many companies have kept going to work as a basic form of work, so many people have talked about it, but telecommuting has rapidly spread among IT companies and large corporations.


Naver employees 'prefer working from home'


Now that the word telecommuting is no longer unfamiliar, companies are gradually preparing to return to daily life as the COVID-19 outbreak turns on the decline.

However, the results of the survey showed that the employees had a different opinion, and that is Naver.

As a result of a Naver survey of 4,795 employees at the headquarters (participation rate of 76.1%), it was found that most of the employees prefer to work from home.

Shall we take a closer look?



First of all, as the optimal working method, 52.2% of the respondents chose a mixed type of work that combines office work and telecommuting.

Next, telecommuting 5 days a week accounted for 41.7%.

In terms of the respondents, 20.9% of the respondents worked at the office two days a week, 13.3% one day a week, and 7.6% three days a week.

Taken together, the survey results indicate that the most desired work system for employees is, in effect, 'telecommuting 5 days a week'.



This atmosphere is not unique to Naver.

This is especially noticeable in the IT industry, where competition for talent recruitment is fierce, and companies who do not want to miss out on excellent talent and want to have their employees go to work for communication and collaboration are increasingly concerned.

However, more and more places are stopping telecommuting in places where it is difficult to work without going to work, such as in manufacturing.



In Korea, POSCO Group has lifted telecommuting from this month.

Even in fields that require direct participation in production, such as broadcasting, the type of work is changing to the existing work method.

(For reference, SBS also ended telecommuting and returned to a normal working system.) It is expected that the rate of on-site work will increase as the distance is relaxed.

If so, will there be a time difference and return to work again?



It is inevitable for companies that have to go to work, but experts believe that a hybrid method, that is, a method that combines work and home, will become the new standard.

The weakening of communication and collaboration caused by telecommuting can be partially addressed through various collaboration programs and remote working methods such as Metaverse Office.

The need is also raised in order to reduce the MZ generation's rejection of a uniform work culture and to secure key talent.



The look of the office is also likely to change.

It is expected that there will be an increase in the number of base offices where you can go to work when needed, rather than centered on 'my seat' as it is now.

In fact, this type of flexible work was gradually expanding along with the development of IT.

This change in working patterns was not entirely new.

It is time for us to prepare ourselves for the changes in our work life that have been accelerated by COVID-19.