Etätyön plussat ja miinukset

Remote work has changed Finnish working life more than almost any other phenomenon over the past decades. Before the pandemic, remote work was done rarely — only a few days a month, mainly in expert roles. After the pandemic the situation has changed thoroughly, and there is no return to the old ways in sight. According to studies, over a third of Finns currently work remotely at least part of the week, and in many fields the figure is even higher.

The biggest advantage of remote work is flexibility. When an employee can decide for themselves where they work, it is easier for them to combine work, family and free time. For the parents of small children this is often a decisive factor. In the morning you don't have to rush the children to daycare and yourself to the office at the same time. You can take the children calmly, return home and start the workday when it best suits you. This has reduced many people's stress considerably.

A second significant benefit is the time saved. In Helsinki the commute takes on average 35 minutes each way, that is over an hour a day. Over a year this is more than 200 hours — almost a month of working time spent purely on travelling. When the trips disappear, time is freed up for your own life: for reading, exercise, children, resting. Many have noticed they feel better after compulsory daily commuting has been given up.

There is benefit in remote work for the employer too. When employees are not in the office every day, the need for space decreases. Companies have begun renting smaller offices and thus saving considerable sums. In addition, studies show that in many tasks productivity has even improved with remote work. Without constant interruptions and meetings, employees can concentrate more deeply.

Remote work, however, also has clear disadvantages that are not always discussed enough. One of the most serious is loneliness. When work is done at home alone, social contacts become scarce. Many an employee has said they suffer from a feeling of isolation. New employees especially have difficulty becoming part of the work community, when there are no spontaneous meetings in the coffee room.

A second worry relates to the blurring of the boundary between work and free time. When the workstation is at home, work easily intrudes into private life. Emails are read in the evening in bed. Meetings are joined in the middle of a holiday morning. Studies have shown that those who work remotely burn out on average more than those working at the office — although at first the opposite was believed.

Remote work also poses challenges for management. It is harder for a supervisor to detect if one of their subordinates is feeling unwell. At the office you see expressions, you hear tones of voice, you notice absences from coffee breaks. Remotely these signals vanish. Good supervisors have learned to ask more actively how their subordinates are doing, but not everyone has adapted to the new situation.

Socially, remote work has changed the structure of cities. The offices of central Helsinki are left empty when employees stay home. At the same time the popularity of smaller localities grows, because people can live farther away but still work on a capital-city salary. This may in the longer run change Finland's regional structure in a significant way.

In my opinion the best solution is hybrid work, in which part of the week is done remotely and part at the office. This way you get the best sides of both: flexibility, but also a social community. In most companies a model is now becoming established in which two or three days a week are spent at the office. I myself consider this the most sensible option.

Ultimately remote work is not merely a technical solution but also a question of values. It tells how much we trust employees, how we value their time and how we see the relationship between work and free time. Finnish society has traditionally relied on individual responsibility, and that is why remote work suits our culture especially well. But the challenges are real, and they must be taken seriously — otherwise the gains achieved may drown under exhaustion, loneliness and isolation.

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1. Miten yleistä etätyö oli Suomessa ennen pandemiaa?
   Vastaus / Answer

   Etätyötä tehtiin harvoin, vain joitakin päiviä kuukaudessa ja lähinnä asiantuntijatehtävissä.
2. Miksi joustavuus on erityisen tärkeää pienten lasten vanhemmille?
   Vastaus / Answer

   Koska he voivat sovittaa yhteen työn, perheen ja vapaa-ajan paremmin eivätkä joudu kiirehtimään aamulla.
3. Mitä hyötyä etätyöstä on työnantajalle?
   Vastaus / Answer

   Tilan tarve vähenee, yritykset säästävät vuokrissa, ja tuottavuus on monessa tehtävässä jopa parantunut.
4. Mitkä ovat etätyön suurimmat haitat tekstin mukaan?
   Vastaus / Answer

   Yksinäisyys, työn ja vapaa-ajan rajan hämärtyminen sekä haasteet johtamiselle.
5. Mitä ratkaisua kirjoittaja pitää parhaana?
   Vastaus / Answer

   Hybridityötä, jossa osa viikosta tehdään etänä ja osa toimistolla.