Vast majority of New Zealanders don't want to return to office after Covid-19
A study of New Zealanders working from home during coronavirus lockdown has found many were just as productive as when they were in the office, and a majority were reluctant to return to traditional workplaces.
New Zealand went into lockdown for seven weeks from 25 March, and has become a global success story in containing the coronavirus, with fewer than 1,500 people infected and 21 deaths.
During lockdown, many workers experimented with working from home for the first time, and a University of Otago study of more than 2,500 people found the arrangement suited many.
According to the study 73% of people were “equally or more productive” when working from home, and 89% wanted to continue post-lockdown, at least part-time.
Despite 38% of respondents never having worked from home before, 66% of people found it “easy or somewhat easy” to adapt, with 82% saying they felt they had the right resources to do their job, although only 17% had all of those resources provided by their employer.
Last week, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said lockdown has shown many New Zealanders – and businesses – that flexible working arrangements could be productive for both parties.
In a Facebook video she urged Kiwis to explore a diverse range of options on returning to work, including the possibility of a four-day week.
“I hear lots of people suggesting we should have a four-day workweek.
Ultimately that really sits between employers and employees. But as I’ve said there’s just so much we’ve learnt about Covid and that flexibility of people working from home, the productivity that can be driven out of that,” Ardern said.
Many New Zealanders have reported feeling anxious about the end of lockdown and the return to traditional forms of work, citing long, expensive commutes, less time with families, and noisy, open-plan offices.
Dr Paula O’Kane, a specialist in organisational behaviour and human resource management at Otago’s Department of Management, said postlockdown was a prime opportunity to re-examine habituated and traditional expectations regarding work.
“Both employers and the government have a role to play in educating employees working from home in the future about their wellbeing and how to place separation between work and home,” said Dr’O Kane. “Exhaustion was specifically mentioned by many participants.”
Widespread “Zoom fatigue” was also reported, Dr O‘Kane said, but despite this 71% of workers still preferred to have their camera on during meetings. Collaborating and communicating with colleagues was mentioned as a challenge, but skipping the daily commute and saving money on transport and home-made lunches made working from home worth it for many.
The hurried transition to working from home meant for many workers home-office set-ups were not ergonomically ideal, Dr O’Kane said, and childcare and housekeeping duties did interrupt many.
However overall the study’s results were surprisingly positive, and Dr O’Kane urged employers and employees to open discussions on the future of their workplace, at a time when many were open and willing to change.
“Let’s recreate the norm,” Dr O’Kane said.