Two years post-pandemic: more professionals embrace benefits of remote work

70% of employees receive support from their employers while working from home

On April 13, specialist professional recruitment firm Robert Walters Japan announced the results of a survey on post-Covid-19 work styles which was answered by 551 company employees in Japan. We first conducted a survey on post-pandemic work style preferences in 2020 and surveyed professionals in 2022 to observe whether preferences have shifted in the past two years.

Remote work experience: better work-life balance and productivity

Among employees who have been working remotely throughout the pandemic, 82% felt that their work-life balance improved and 66% felt that stress levels were reduced. In addition, 63% perceived that their work productivity increased. While about half of respondents felt that the quality and output of their work had improved, the other half did not feel any improvement or change as a result of working remotely. We also found that about 1 in 4 respondents would like to work in the office more often. Compared to the 2020 survey results, professionals more strongly perceive the benefits of remote work nowadays. 

Desired support from employer: Internet connectivity, utilities and office furniture

After nearly two years of remote work, the type of support employees desire most from their employers was “allowance/support for internet connectivity” (65%) which also ranked 1st in the 2020 survey. “Support for utility expenses” (62%) came in 2nd while “allowance for office furniture” such as monitors, desks, chairs (61%) came in third, maintaining the same position as in 2020. Fifty-five percent of respondents also said that they wanted support for “mobile phone/smartphone (calling fees, data usage fees, etc.).”  As people spend most of their weekdays at home because of remote work, expenditure on household utilities naturally rises. Compared to 2020, there was less demand for support in team building, mental health, and wellness activities, suggesting that over half of employees are more interested in seeking support for areas directly related to productivity.

Support received from employer: mobile phone/smartphone fees, upgrade of PCs/laptops and utility expenses

When asked what type of support they actually received from employers, support for “mobile phone/smartphone (calling fees, data usage fees, etc.)” was the most common response, at approximately 30%. This was followed by “upgrade of PCs/laptops” (24%) and “support for utility expenses” (17%). About 70% of the respondents received some type of support from their employers. On the other hand, about 30% of respondents stated they did not receive support from their employers. 

95% of employees place importance on work style flexibility in post-Covid-19

When asked if they place importance on flexible working styles when changing jobs or working in the same company in the post-pandemic era, 95% of employees responded “yes.” Over two years have passed since the outbreak of Covid-19 and the survey results are a strong indication that location independent work styles will continue to be an important consideration for professionals.

(Survey period: 3-8 March 2022, Target: Company employees registered with Robert Walters Japan and living in Japan n=551)