Working from home - pandemic trend or "the new normal"?

After the start of the pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus, many companies soon provided their employees with work from home to protect their health. According to data from Eurostat, by 2020 only 5.5% of employed persons in the European Union countries worked from home. In 2020, that percentage increases to 12.3%, and in 2021 it reaches 13.5%. In other words, the first two years of the pandemic saw a double increase in employees working from home, which is a direct consequence of the introduction of strict isolation measures in most EU member states.

Interested in working from home? Find a new job right now!

Working from home: where does Croatia stand?

As usual, Croatia still lags behind European figures. Despite all the benefits that this way of working brings, in Croatia the share of employed Croats who work entirely remotely is less than 5%. This represents an excellent opportunity to attract new employees for companies, because the demand for such jobs is constantly increasing as broadband Internet becomes available throughout Croatia, opening up new opportunities for candidates in somewhat sleepy areas throughout Croatia. You can check opportunities on the portal Štoradiš.hr.

According to our experience, several groups are looking for such jobs: parents with small children, residents of smaller cities in Croatia, and younger generations who want a greater balance between private and business life, but also greater autonomy at work. Our experience is confirmed by the Moj Posao survey, which states that the greatest advantages are the absence of commuting and greater time flexibility in performing work.

As a result, employees have more time to spend with their families, and spend less on amenities such as public transport and going to restaurants, and their satisfaction is positively reflected in the increase in efficiency in the company where they are employed.

Working from home as a continuation of the pandemic trend?

Although the pandemic is in its final phase and most countries no longer have any isolation measures, more and more employees are looking for the possibility to work from home, and it is likely that this trend will not stop. According to a major survey by The Conference Board, the increase in the number of employees working remotely is the biggest legacy of the coronavirus. This kind of change in the labor market certainly suits the employees themselves, and the same is shown by research conducted on Croatian employees, for example on the MojPosao portal.

According to all indicators, working from home is no longer just a pandemic trend, but also a permanent practice in some companies. Thus, for most office jobs, it has almost become normal to work from home several times a week as one of the benefits they offer to attract new employees. The pandemic certainly encouraged companies to change their way of working in a very short period of time, and it turned out that working from home still brings many advantages, which is why they continued with this practice even after the isolation measures were lifted.

This “new normal” suits the majority of employees, as well as companies, and if they want to remain competitive on the labor market and be as desirable as possible to new employees, they must be ready to introduce the option of working from home.

If you are looking for a job that offers the option of working remotely, check out all the work-from-home offers on the website Lugera.hr. or Štoradis.hr job portal.